The 1986 Accountancy Class of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), have invested about N100 million in the rehabilitation and upgrade of facilities at the institution, 40 years after their graduation.

The legacy project was unveiled as part of activities commemorating the set’s 40th anniversary.

The intervention focused on the former School of Management and Business Studies, now known as the School of Financial Studies, and aimed to improve learning and research facilities for current and future students of the college.

The renovation covered critical areas of the building and was fully equipped with modern teaching and learning facilities

Speaking at the unveiling, Chairman of the institution’s governing council Prof. Funso Afolabi, said the event represents history, friendship, gratitude, reunion and enduring institutional loyalty.

Afolabi commended the Class of 1986 for returning to their alma mater four decades after graduation to create a legacy that would benefit generations of students.

Afolabi said tertiary institutions could be strengthened not only through government and management efforts, but also through sustained contributions from alumni who remain connected to their alma mater.

He said the renovated facilities would serve as a reminder to present and future students of the long-standing relationship between YABATECH and its alumni, and encourage the set to maintain the relationship through mentorship, engagement and continued support.

The Rector, Dr Ibraheem Abdul, described the project as an investment in the future of the institution and generations of students yet unborn.

Abdul said the alumni had returned not merely as former students but as builders who had transformed their appreciation for the college into a practical contribution.

The rector disclosed that the former School of Management and Business Studies was restructured as the School of Financial Studies to provide a clearer academic identity and specialised training in finance and related disciplines, while the School of Management and Business Studies will focus more specifically on management education, marketing and business leadership.

Abdul called on other alumni associations, corporate groups, and friends of YABATECH to emulate the ‘86 set by supporting the institution’s development.

“The College still has needs, and our students still require better facilities, stronger mentorship and greater exposure. Together, we can contribute to meeting those needs,” he said.

He urged staff and students to protect the rehabilitated facilities and ensure that the investment produces meaningful academic benefits.

The President of the Accountancy Alumni Association ’86 set, Itunu Omotayo, said the project was conceived to make the 40th anniversary more than a reunion.

“For the Class of 1986, the project represents the culmination of a journey that began when members entered YABATECH as young students in 1981 before graduating in 1986. We came, we learnt, we left, we grew, and we returned to give back,” Omotayo said.