College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Lafia

The College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Lafia (COAST Lafia), formerly the College of Agriculture, Lafia, is a Nasarawa State institution in Lafia, Nigeria. It has spent more than four decades training men and women in the science, technology and practice of modern agriculture, and its mandate has been widened to link agriculture with other sciences and engineering. Its motto is "Learning for Self-Reliance". It awards National Diploma (ND), Higher National Diploma (HND), Pre-ND and Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) qualifications, and its programmes are moderated and accredited by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

The college is organised into seven schools and twenty-four academic departments: Home Economics and Hospitality Management; Management Technology; Applied Sciences and Technology; Agronomy and Environmental Management; Animal Science and Fisheries Technology; Engineering and Environmental Technology; and General Studies. Programmes include Agribusiness Management, Agricultural Extension and Management, Animal Health and Production, Crop Production, Fisheries Technology, Forestry, Horticulture and Landscape, Pest Management, Home and Rural Economics, Nutrition and Dietetics, Fashion Design and Clothing Technology, Computer Science, Statistics, Science Laboratory Technology, and engineering courses in civil, mechanical, electrical and electronic, computer, agricultural and bio-environmental, survey and geo-informatics, and welding and fabrication.

The mission is to promote technical knowledge and entrepreneurial education through teaching, research and strategic partnerships for self-reliance, and the vision is to be a centre of technical excellence producing self-reliant graduates for global competitiveness. Its goals include training people in technical and vocational skills for the economic and social development of Nasarawa State and Nigeria, building self-reliance and versatility among students, community-service oriented training, and character training and job orientation.

Practical training is part of the college's work, with demonstration farms, a nursery, workshops where machinery is fabricated, tractors donated by the Nasarawa State Government, and a Students' Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) directorate that runs orientation for students before industrial placement. Directorates and units include Academic Planning, Internal Quality Assurance, Linkages, Works, Research and Development, the Entrepreneurship Development Unit, ICT, Student Affairs, Sports, a Clinic and a consultancy arm, CoastLafia Consult Ltd.

The college was enlisted as a TETFund beneficiary in 2024. TETFund-supported projects include an engineering complex, a new girls' hostel, library development, ICT infrastructure and staff training. The college is led by a Provost/Rector, Dr Musa Yahaya Maikafi, and governed by a Council.