The National President, Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATE), Tgst. Ahmad Mohammed Yabagi has in a press briefing recounted his journey to NATE and how he has been able to contribute his quota to the development of the association.
Yabagi, retired Chief Technical Officer at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, and Head, Niger State Housing Corporation, Minna, assumed duty as NATE President in 28th of November, 2014 and it have been a wonderful and fulfilling tenure with many achievements in the record with his name.
“I thank God for the journey so far. And for making us, executive council, excellently repositioned the association’s status beyond where we planned to at the beginning of our administration.”
“As President, I am happy that God gifted me resourceful executive council members and general members of the association for believing and contributing their own best in advancing the cause of this association. It has not been a smoothy journey but the collectiveness spirit of the association has kept us going forward.”
Yabagi while highlighting the achievements of his administration so far, it is obvious that, he has successfully explore his rich experiences in transforming the association. His achievements, not limited to the following;
- Emancipation of NATE in General;
- Provision of NATE vehicles to all regions in the country to aid smooth running of all zonal offices;
- Equipping of NATE liaising office in Lagos;
- Procurement & Fencing of the 30m × 30m land for NATE headquarters in Abuja and
- securing of a Modern Building Design;
- Increment in the NATE Members from about 6,000 to more than 16,000 (more than all members since 1976);
- Making a milestone achievement in Technology by developing and manufacturing of
- Industrial Rice Destoning Machine; Coconut Deshellin’ Machine; and Castor Oil Seed Dehusking Machine;
- Reorganisation of offices and reshuffling of staff schedules in all the departments to suit the objectives of the Association
- Conduct of Recruitment Exercise as well as Staff promotion exercise for the deserving staff members;
- Construction and operation of NATE website.
- Initiation of National Equipment Training Workshop between Bayero University, Kano and the Association as well as the Revival of the Committee on Inclusion of Technologists cadre in the Scheme of Service and Career Progression for Engineering Technologists
- Changing of NATE Certificate from an ordinary certificate paper to a Modern-day certificate;
- Full representation of NATE members into COREN/NBTE accreditation exercise;
Improvement of Regional NATE Workshops/Conferences/Exhibitions; - Submission of Memoranda to the Senate and House Committee on the review of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on education ACT 16 of 1985 in order to remove the dichotomy and disparity between HND and BSc; and
- NATE was ably represented throughout all the geo-political zones.
No doubt, his leadership of the Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATE), with his immense experience from various fields of life and his strive to build on the legacies of the past administrations have brought various developments to the great NATE.