Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) emerged as a national leader in engineering education following the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria’s (COREN) accreditation of its HND Mechanical and Electrical/Electronics Engineering Technology programmes under the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) framework. The announcement was made in a statement on Tuesday.
The accreditation aligns Nigeria’s polytechnic engineering technology education with global standards set by the Sydney and Dublin Accords of the International Engineering Alliance, enhancing international recognition, graduate mobility, and professional relevance.
COREN’s team lead, Abdulkarim Nasir, explained that the OBE-integrated curriculum combines teaching, assessment, facilities, and industry engagement to produce graduates equipped with measurable competencies for professional engineering practice. “OBE ensures ND and HND graduates are practically prepared for global engineering practice, meeting internationally defined learning outcomes and operational competencies required of engineering technologists and technicians,” he said.
Nasir highlighted Nigeria’s 2023 admission into the Washington Accord for engineering degrees and noted that COREN is now extending similar recognition to engineering technology and technician programmes through the Sydney and Dublin Accords. He described the accreditation exercise as a peer-review, not fault-finding, aimed at objectively evaluating programmes, identifying strengths, and recommending improvements in line with international best practices.
The assessment involved thorough inspections of laboratories, workshops, libraries, and sports facilities, as well as reviews of academic records, staff qualifications, and student coursework, alongside interactions with staff, technical officers, and students.
The panel praised YABATECH for pioneering OBE-based accreditation among polytechnics, citing the institution’s adequate facilities, qualified staff, strong industry engagement, reliable power supply, and excellent student performance. COREN also cautioned that operating unaccredited or expired engineering programmes violates statutory provisions, with graduates from such programmes remaining ineligible for professional registration, regardless of future accreditation.
Reacting to the development, YABATECH Rector Ibraheem Abdul described the accreditation as nationally significant and reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to OBE compliance, staff capacity building, and facility upgrades to boost graduate employability and global competitiveness.