Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) has certified 34 members of its staff as professional institutional rankers, as the institution steps up efforts to improve its global academic standing and international visibility.
The certification came after 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), led by Prof. Peter Okebukola.
The training, coordinated by YABATECH’s Human Resource Development Centre, exposed participants to major global ranking systems including 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.
Presenting the report to the college management committee, the Director of the Human Resource Development Centre, Dr. Moruf Adebakin, disclosed that 18 participants graduated with distinction, 10 with credit, two with merit, and one with a pass, totalling 34 certified rankers.
All successful participants were inducted as pioneer members of the Association of Ranking Professionals (ARP) and earned certification as Chartered Rankers, equipping them to interpret ranking methodologies and guide institutional data management.
However, Adebakin raised concern over a major gap in the global visibility of Nigerian polytechnics, noting that none currently ranks prominently on major international platforms, with YABATECH only making marginal appearances on Webometrics, still far behind leading institutions across Africa and the world.
He linked the problem to weak visibility and low research output among individual scholars, warning that without deliberate action, Nigerian polytechnics would continue to fall behind in global assessments.
To address this, he called for the establishment of a dedicated global ranking committee to develop a strategic framework guiding departments and staff toward meeting international ranking standards.
YABATECH Rector, Dr. Ibraheem Abdul, commended the participants, describing their achievement as a proud milestone for the institution. He noted that unlike many sponsored trainings that produce little impact, these staff members excelled independently and returned with knowledge that would benefit the entire college.
The rector also endorsed a cascading training model that will allow the newly certified rankers to transfer their expertise to both academic and non-academic units across the institution.
Digital Operations Manager at The Students Forum Nigeria.
