By Adesina Wahab 

The Rector of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Dr. Ibraheem Abdul, has reiterated the College’s unwavering commitment to producing industry-ready graduates, stressing that skills acquisition, not paper qualifications alone, now defines success in the modern workplace.

Dr. Abdul stated this during a high-level engagement and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Yaba College of Technology and John Basil Mandilas Foundation at a forum that brought together academic leaders and industry experts 

Addressing participants, the Rector described the partnership as a milestone that aligns perfectly with YABATECH’s core mandate of empowering students with practical, market-relevant skills before graduation. 

According to him, the collaboration would kick-start a structured HVAC-R  (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) training programme through the Mandilas Modulus Academy, combining classroom instruction with hands-on industrial exposure.

“As an institution, our vision is clear: by the time our students graduate, they must be fully trained, competent and confident to function in the world of work,” Dr. Abdul said. “This initiative aligns seamlessly with that vision because today, it is no longer about certificates alone, but about what you can do with your hands and your mind.”

He explained that the selected students for the pilot phase would undergo one month of intensive classroom training followed by two months of industry-based practical experience, a structure he described as a model for bridging the gap between theory and practice.

The Rector further disclosed that YABATECH would add value to the partnership by providing certified quality assurance assessors who would help align the Modulus Academy curriculum with the National Skills and National Professional Skills Qualifications frameworks, ensuring global relevance and local compliance.

The Executive Vice Chairman of Mandilas Trust Company Limited, Ola Ayo-Adeloye, described the partnership as a practical response to Nigeria’s urgent need for skills-driven education and sustainable industrial growth.

In her address, Ayo-Adeloye said the Memorandum of Understanding formally established the Mandilas Academy, a no-cost technical training initiative of the John Basil Mandilas Foundation, designed to deliberately close the gap between classroom learning and real-world industry practice.

She noted that the Mandilas Academy was structured to complement YABATECH’s strong academic foundation by providing students with hands-on training, industry-aligned certifications and exposure to modern HVAC-R technologies, ensuring graduates are not only academically sound but confident, competent and workplace-ready.