YABATECH Seeks Ford Foundation Support for Girl-Child Enterprise and Innovation Hubs

Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) has called on the Ford Foundation for support and funding of its proposed girl-child enterprise and innovation hubs, a project aimed at equipping Nigerian young women with skills for self-employment and sustainable development.

The Rector of the College, Dr. Engr. Ibraheem Abdul, made the appeal during a meeting with Ford Foundation executives, led by the Regional Director, Office for West Africa, Dr. Catherine Chinendum Aniagolu, at the Foundation’s Ikoyi, Lagos office.

Dr. Abdul said the institution is committed to bridging the gap in girl-child empowerment by advancing initiatives that ensure young women become self-reliant through technical training and entrepreneurship development that go beyond theory.

“We want them to start and build the practice of entrepreneurship, as we plan to create hubs for them in the college with our available massive space that requires your kind support,” he said. “This will help them in whatever they are doing, because we know we have a duty to make them future-ready, field-ready and focused, having already imparted both theoretical and practical knowledge.”

In response, Dr. Catherine Aniagolu commended YABATECH for its strides in technical and vocational education, girl-child skills acquisition, and its contributions to the development of the arts as a profession.

She encouraged Nigerian institutions to channel resources towards achieving international recognition, stressing that such efforts would position them to easily access global research grants and support.

“Specialized institutions will naturally propel global recognition, giving access to support and linkages to partnerships,” Dr. Aniagolu stated.