Yabatech Rector Advocates For Stronger Industry-academia Partnerships

Yaba College of Technology Rector, Dr. Engr. Ibraheem Abdul has called for tertiary institutions’ commitment to fostering industry partnerships as the only way to bridge the gap between academia and the professional world.

Abdul who spoke during a courtesy visit to NEM Insurance’s chairman and management team, emphasised the College’s vision of connecting the “town and gown” through strategic collaborations that will benefit students, staff, and the broader industry.

Accompanied by members of the college management team, the rector outlined Yabatech’s priority of preparing students for the challenges of the modern workplace through meaningful engagements with the private sector.

According to him, “Industry partnerships remain at the top of our agenda. We believe these collaborations are key to ensuring our students gain practical, hands-on training that prepares them for real-world challenges.”

The rector highlighted the importance of updating the academic curriculum to reflect current industry trends and realities and implored NEM Insurance and other corporate bodies to actively participate in curriculum reviews and drafting on order to ensure that what is taught aligns with the expectations of today’s job market.

He also advocated for a mentoring program to be known as “A Day with the Professionals or CEOs” where industry experts would spend a day with students to provide insights into their fields, share professional experiences, and offer guidance.

“This initiative will not only inspire our students but will also help build strong relationships between academia and the corporate world,” he elucidated.

The Rector further stressed the growing importance of the insurance industry and the need to train young professionals who can contribute to the sector. Dr. Abdul, however, called for support for the creation of start-up hubs in the College, which would serve as incubators for innovative ideas and skills development for both staff and students and start up kits for such students and staff.

In his response, the Managing Director/CEO of NEM Insurance, Mr. Andrew Ikekua, expressed his appreciation to the college for the visit and vision. He praised the College’s forward-thinking approach and affirmed NEM’s willingness to partner with the institution.

He said; “We at NEM are deeply committed to supporting initiatives like this that promote education and industry growth. We will build on this partnership to make it stronger and more impactful”. Mr. Ikekua further assured the rector and his team that NEM would actively support the proposed exchange programs, which aim to provide students with practical exposure in the insurance sector.

He Sought for mutually beneficial relationship between the two institutions, noting that such collaborations would enhance both academic and industry performance.

The chairman, NEM Insurance, Mr. Tope Smart pledged NEM’s support for the college proposed initiatives and other areas of collaborations that have been agreed on for implementation as an assured assurance. Mr. Smart said; “your requests are assured and together we can achieve great milestones for both NEM and Yabatech.