Category: Auto Guid

Oyo State Government has expressed its commitment and readiness to restore the glory of cocoa production as one of the state’s major economic pillars.

It has approved N3,030,292,472 for the establishment of Cocoa Rejuvenation Project, to be driven through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).

The project is to be coordinated by Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA) and International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

Information Commissioner Prince Dotun Oyelade said the approval was given at the State Executive Council meeting.

He said the state government was taking the initiative because Oyo State ranked fourth in cocoa production among the 18 cocoa-producing states in the country.

Oyelade said: ‘The state is also being proactive by taking the opportunity created by disruptions in cocoa production in major producing countries like Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.

‘It is the intention of Oyo State to fill the supply void as a result of the production problems facing West African countries.

‘The Cocoa Rejuvenation Project, which costs two million, seventy-five thousand, five hundred and forty-seven dollars ($2,075,547), will be funded in three tranches over the next three years.

‘Additionally, the Council approved pound 50 million for Oyo State Health Care Initiative. This loan from the French Government, which Oyo State initiated about three years ago, was finally approved by the Federal Ministry of Finance in a letter dated November 10, 2025.’

He said the loan, intended for infrastructural upgrades and equipping state hospitals, among other purposes, had also been approved by the House of Assembly to enable the state government access the funds.

He added that Oyo State Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy was also approved by the Council.

Lagos-based firm, Easy Porta Nigeria, has introduced prefabricated containers into the market.

Managing Director, Allen, said the move to high-specification prefabricated container structures is a necessity.

In a statement, Allen, an engineer, also said: ‘The greatest advantage of prefab is not just the speed, but the quality consistency you achieve in a controlled factory environment.”

The engineer, with over three decades’ experience in the metal and steel fabrication and construction business, said Nigeria’s construction sector is undergoing a quiet, yet fundamental, revolution driven by need for speed, cost certainty, and quality control.

At the heart of this shift, he said, is the rise of modular construction-manufacturing of structures off-site for rapid assembly, a methodology industry veterans believe is suited to bridging the country’s infrastructure and housing gaps.

He noted that for decades, traditional brick-and-mortar processes dominated the industry. But as logistics become more complex and material costs fluctuate, the predictability offered by factory-built systems, particularly those relying on robust steel structures, is proving highly attractive.

The Federal Government has intensified efforts to work out the modalities for the upgrade of Yaba College of Technology(YABATECH) to University of Technology and Vocational Studies.

Speaking at the institution’s 37th convocation, President Bola Tinubu, who was represented by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad,noted that the upgrade of the institution was aimed at integrating hands-on technical training with advanced research, fostering innovation, economic growth and national development.

A total of 8,654 students received National Diplomas, Higher National Diplomas and Certificates for the 2023/2024 academic session.

They include 291 Distinctions, 2,434 Upper Credits, 4,403 Lower Credits and 1,526 Pass grades.

The President had approved the conversion of YABATECH to a university in February.

He said: ‘As you are aware, the Federal Government has approved the upgrading of YABATECH to Yaba Technical and Vocational University.

The committee constituted to work on the modalities to bring about seamless transition has already submitted its report. The recommendations are being considered.’

Tinubu noted that the government had prioritised Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical Sciences alongside technical and vocational education, stressing their importance to youth development and the nation’s growth.

He said Federal Ministry of Education has continued to align learning with employability through the expansion of vocational training and digital skills programmes.

Tinubu urged the graduates to be at the forefront of nation-building.

‘Through the Vocational Enterprise Institutes, over 960,000 trainees have been enrolled nationwide across more than 25 specialised trades, ensuring that young Nigerians acquire practical, market-ready skills.

‘In addition, the Ministry of Education is driving large-scale digital capacity-building programmes to equip graduates for success in Nigeria’s fast-evolving digital economy. These initiatives include intensive digital literacy bootcamps in coding, cybersecurity, data analytics, and digital marketing; e-learning platforms that provide access to certified online courses; structured internships and industrial attachments with leading technology companies; and the establishment of innovation and entrepreneurship hubs to nurture start-ups and small businesses,’ he said.

Tinubu added: ‘Nation building is not the responsibility of government alone; it is a sacred duty we all share.’

The Rector, Dr Ibraheem Abdul, disclosed that the institution is on the path to becoming Nigeria’s first specialised University of Technology and Vocational Studies.

He praised President Tinubu for granting the approval, adding that the elevation positions the institution to power the nation’s next phase of innovation-driven development.

Abdul hoped that the transition to a specialised university would unlock new opportunities for research, skills development and national economic growth.

He noted that beginning this year, the convocation ceremony would be held yearly, saying that graduates would now receive their certificates on convocation day as part of new measures to improve administrative efficiency.

Abdul urged the graduates to embrace entrepreneurship and innovation, adding that YABATECH had equipped them with both academic and compulsory vocational skills.