Ground has been broken for a 1,500 bed student hostel at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos, as the Federal Government moves to tackle what the Institution's rector described as an accommodation shortage that has reached "a pandemic level."

Education Minister Tunji Alausa flagged off the project on Friday, with construction carried out under a TETFund Public Private Partnership arrangement in collaboration with Integrated Projects Limited. The development is expected to be completed within two years.

YABATECH Rector Ibraheem Adedotun Abdul disclosed that available bed spaces currently accommodate only 1,600 students due to ongoing maintenance of one of the existing hostels, making the new project urgent given the Institution's growing student population.

"This 1,500 bed hostel project, made possible through the innovative TETFund Public Private Partnership model in collaboration with Integrated Projects Limited, stands as a demonstration of your vision and determination to address one of the most pressing challenges facing our students, the acute shortage of decent accommodation," Abdul stated.

The rector revealed that the institution had deliberately resisted pressure to sell its landed assets within the Yaba educational district, opting instead for strategic partnerships. "We have land for more projects. Rather than selling, we will continue to embrace PPP arrangements and use the land maximally for the benefit of the college community," he added.

Representing the Governing Council Chairman, council member Ebenezer Akinbolade described the groundbreaking as a defining moment for the Institution. "This Public Private Partnership model is a clear demonstration of what can be achieved when stakeholders work together towards a common goal," he said.

Managing Director of Integrated Projects Limited, Olayinka Kusemiju, noted that the hostel would serve a purpose beyond shelter, creating an environment for interpersonal relationships and leadership development among students. He disclosed that the project was backed by financial and technical partners, including Keystone Bank.

Student union representative Dewunmi Oluyemi welcomed the intervention, thanking the Minister of Education for extending what he described as "renewed hope" to students of the Institution.

The 1,500 bed facility is projected to reduce accommodation pressure at Nigeria's premier Polytechnic.