WORRIED
about the low level of in information technology (IT) penetration in the
country, participants at an IT conference in Abuja came up with a
recommendation that Nigeria should develop her local software and hardware in
information and communication technology (ICT). This, they believed, will give
the country and its citizens the ownership of the contents of their ICT
education curriculum.
Besides, the
forum, in a communiqué, urged the federal government to as a matter of national
urgency, fast track the implementation of the national identity management
project, with a view to tackling the on-going incidence of social insecurity prevalent
in the country.
The forum
was the 7th International Conference on ICT put together by the Obafemi Awolowo
University (OAU), Ile-Ife in collaboration with the National Defence College
(NDC) and the Carnegie Corporation of New York, United States. It drew
participation from among IT practitioners and some 39 tertiary institutions as
well as six corporate concerns in the country.
With the
theme: “Application of ICT to Teaching, Research and Administration,” (AICTTRA)
the forum, according to the organizers, was to provide ICT experts drawn from
the various spheres to share practical experiences in the area of ICT
applications as well as providing the opportunities to them to present and
observe the latest research in the area of ICT applications.
Prior to the
formal declaration on Tuesday, there was a one-day pre-conference workshop a
day before on “Writing Proposal and Grant Management” facilitated by Resources
persons from the Training Centre in Communication (TCC), University of Nairobi,
Kenya. They included Tony Omwansa from the Training Centre in Communication,
Gecaga Institute Building, University of Nairobi as well as Joy Owango, Centre
Manager from the same institution.
Part of the
resolutions stressed the need for institutions to endeavour to acquire ICT
solutions rather than just purchase of hardware products/equipment/devices ICT
equipment/devices should be produced locally in Nigeria. Our educational
institutions should leverage on what our students have grown up with like
computers, mobile phones and the Internet to enhance delivery of education
content.
“Besides, we
must evolve a common core in our curriculum that seeks to equip our students
with the ability to tackle issues of significance to humanity. Basic
infrastructure such as electricity, bandwidth, and national network backbone
are sine qua non requirements for any meaningful development of ICT and its
deployment.
“Local
contents of Software & Hardware in ICT education should be encouraged CS
curriculum should emphasize rigorous programming E-education being the most
effective and economic method to increase the quality of education should be
embraced.”
“For the
security of the nation, it is highly imperative for the government to
focus/emphasize on effective national identity management. Software development
should be localized to reduce dependence on exported software
products/solutions
In their
separate messages to the opening of the forum past Vice-Chancellor of the
Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Prof. Michael Oladimeji Faborode,
his successor, Prof. Bamitale Omole and the Commandant of the National Defence
College (NDC), Rear Admiral Thomas Jonah Lokoson all agreed on the need for the
authorities to embark on a total re-structuring of the curricula of Nigeria’s
education system by infusing a high content of information technology, (IT),
especially the university sub-sector to make them to be internationally
competitive.
Of
particular emphasis for them is the need to provide adequate funding of
research to provide platforms for researchers, education deliverers,
administrators and those in the private sector to exchange ideas and practical experiences
in the area of information and communication technology, (ICT).
Speaking as
chairman of the occasion, Faborode, who is currently the Secretary-General of
the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU), however,
noted that, while it was important to try to catch up with the rest of the
global players, there was the urgent to develop a sense of national pride.
For him,
even with the increasing usage of mobile phones and Internet in enhancing
connectivity by Nigeria ’s younger generation, the sense of community and
belonging must still be retained. “Therefore, if we aspire to produce leaders
for tomorrow, we must help our students understand the importance of global
cultural diversity, and we must support and facilitate the development of their
sense of national and global citizenship.
“We must
evolve a common core in our curriculum that seeks to equip our students with
the ability to tackle issues of significance to humanity, starting from our
specific environment, from an inter-disciplinary perspective.”
The former
vice-chancellor re-stated the need to re-invigorate the tripartite functions of
universities, including research, teaching and learning, stressing that
universities must be centres of scholarly activities and knowledge advancement
through research and creative work, adding, “Only then can they holistically
impart the totality of skills that will develop in their products total
humanity.”
Omole, who
was represented by the Dean of Faculty of Technology of the university, Prof.
Funso Akeredolu, said the university was committed to ensuring that it maintain
its pioneer position in the ICT industry in the country, noting, that was why
it decided to partner with the Defence College to ensure that the message of
ICT as a revolution is well spread.
Also
speaking, the NDC Lokoson, who was represented by his deputy, Maj. Gen.
Mohammed Inuwa Idris noted that ICT had the potential to accelerate, enrich and
deepen skills; to motivate and engage students in learning to help relate
school experiences to work practices; to help create economic viability for
future workers and contribute to radical changes in the nation’s institutions.
According to
him, “Looking at the role of education in nation building, the use of ICT in
the teaching and learning process become imperative. This is true because its
adoption by the teachers will enhance effective teaching. Such issues like good
course organization, effective class management, content creation,
self-assessment, self-study collaborative learning, task-oriented activities
and effective communication between the actors of teaching and learning process
and research activities will be enhanced by the use of ICT-based technology.
“However,
for us as a nation, we observe that, there are limited functional Internet
facilities in most of our institutions. This situation has hindered exposure to
the use of ICT in teaching, research and administration. Generally, we are
faced with a situation where teachers as well as students appear not be sufficiently
knowledgeable in the use of ICT because of the limited official training for
booth the teachers and students in some of our schools and institutions.”
In their
separate papers, the President of Institute of Software Practitioners of
Nigeria (ISPON), Mr. Chris Uwaje and CEO/Chief Technopreneur HiiT Plc, Mr.
Kayode Shobajo were united on the role of education as agent of socio economic
development of any society.
Shobajo,
who delivered the keynote paper, described education as “the smartest investment
any country must make to safeguard her citizens present and future prosperity.
“As a strategic investment, it is far cheaper than ignorance. Therefore, with
the application of ICT in education, it has become relatively affordable
compared with the traditional functions.
“The
application of ICT in education is the solution that Nigeria needs to leap frog
to prosperity if required political will and leadership capacity are deployed.”
Uwaje, who
spoke on “Creative Class, Innovation and Sustainable Development: The Role of
ICT –based Teaching” advocated the transformation of Nigerian universities into
inspirational and innovative hubs with knowledge-based images, colours and
breath life into the environment. Besides, he called on universities to
collaborate a national database of teaching resources and a network of
facilities to support and sustain life-long learning.
“There is
the need to adopt a futuristic approach to construct global scale knowledge
forum with advanced ICT. For instance, with the use of massive parallel
globally distributed and yet interconnected mini-super computers and the world
through global broadband internet (GBI) of global neural computer network.
Therefore, there is the need to encourage From Industries to Campus model of
teaching learning and research.”
The Guardian
Nigeria