Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) has trained and certified 34 members of its staff as professional institutional rankers, aiming to achieve world-class academic standards and enhance international visibility. The certification followed a six-week intensive capacity-building programme titled 'Mastering University Rankings for Global Visibility,' facilitated by the Virtual Institute for Capacity Building in Higher Education (VICBHE) under the leadership of Professor Peter Okebukola.
Training Programme Details
Coordinated by the institution's Human Resource Development Centre, the training introduced participants to key global ranking systems used to assess higher education institutions worldwide. These include the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, QS World University Rankings, Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), Webometrics, AD Scientific Index, and Clarivate Analytics.
Results and Certification
Presenting a report to the college management committee, the Director of the Human Resource Development Centre, Dr Moruf Adebakin, stated that 18 participants graduated with distinction, 10 with credit, two with merit, and one with a pass, bringing the total to 34. He added that all successful participants were inducted as pioneer members of the Association of Ranking Professionals (ARP), founded by Professor Okebukola. The induction earned them certification as Chartered Rankers, with expertise in global institutional ranking systems, enabling them to interpret ranking methodologies and guide institutional data management accordingly.
Addressing the Visibility Gap
Dr Adebakin emphasised a major gap in the global academic visibility of Nigerian polytechnics. He noted that none currently ranks prominently on major international platforms, except for marginal appearances in Webometrics, where YABATECH remains far from leading institutions in Africa and globally. He explained that institutional ranking is closely tied to the visibility and productivity of individual scholars, and without deliberate efforts to improve these metrics, Nigerian polytechnics would continue to lag in international assessments. To bridge this gap, he called for the establishment of a global ranking committee to develop and implement a strategic framework to guide departments and staff in meeting international ranking requirements.
Rector's Commendation
The Rector, Dr Ibraheem Abdul, commended the participants for their patriotism and pursuit of excellence, describing their achievement as a proud milestone for the institution. He noted that unlike many institution-sponsored trainings that yield minimal results, the participants distinguished themselves by excelling independently and returning with impactful knowledge. He said the outcome justified the college's decision to support continuous professional development among staff. The rector also endorsed a cascading training model that will enable rankers to transfer their knowledge across all academic and non-academic units of the college.
