History was created recently by the Vice-Chancellor of the Technical University (Tech-U), Ibadan, Prof. Ayobami Salami, when he gave his first public academic address since he assumed office.
Prof. Salami was the keynoter at the Opening Ceremony of the Fifth Annual National Conference of the Computer Educators Association of Nigeria (CEAN).
The event took place at Oodua Hall, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti. The theme of the conference was ‘Computer Education for Sustainable Development’. With a little rejigging of the conference theme, the Tech-U VC’s keynote had ‘ICT Education for Sustainable Development’ as its title. The main substance of his address inheres in the fact that Information Communication Technology (ICT) is a major driver of economic growth and development.
Prof. Salami was accompanied to the conference by the University’s Registrar, Mr. Alex Oladeji, the Dean, Faculty of Science & Technology, Prof. Remi Ogunfowokan, and the Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ademola Adesola. The team was joyously received first by members of CEAN executive council led by the national president, Dr. Nnenna E. Ibezim, and later by management of Ekiti State University, led by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. S. O. Bandele.
The conference profiled a couple of firsts. One, it was the first time the CEAN conference would take place in the Southwest. The four previous episodes were held in Southeastern Nigeria. Two, the keynote of the conference outside the East was delivered by the first VC of the first technical university in Nigeria. Three, the keynote was the first Prof. Salami would deliver outside Oyo State since he became Tech-U’s pioneer VC. The impression was given expression to by some conferees that it is a clear testimony to the assiduity and multi-tasking ability of Prof. Salami that, in spite of his demanding pioneering task at Tech-U, he still found the time to prepare, travel to Ekiti, and personally present ‘a well-researched keynote at the conference’.
In his well-received address, Prof. Salami, a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics)at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, delineated the concept of ‘sustainable development’, arguing that there was a need for leaders at all levels to prioritise the wellbeing of the present generation without mortgaging the wellbeing of the coming generation. He highlighted the varied benefits of ICT and encouraged ICT educators to do more in ensuring that more members of the larger society become ICT-compliant.
With numerous realistic examples, the keynoter expatiated on the challenges and dangers posed by ICT. Cybercrime stood as one of the formidable aches of ICT. Referencing from available statistics, he noted that Nigeria ranks third behind the US and the UK among countries where the menace of cybercrime subsists in alarming proportion. He further added, quoting Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, that Nigeria loses about N127 billion annually to the scourge of cybercrime.
Nevertheless, Prof. Salami encouraged members of the CEAN to rise up to the many challenges that affront ICT. At that point, he regaled his attentive audience with the unique vision of Tech-U to combat the scourge of youth unemployment through the provision of sound training which balances theory with practice.
He explained that the new institution – the first of its kind in Nigeria and West and Central Africa – places a great deal of emphasis on skill acquisition as a means of empowering students to become innovators and creative entrepreneurs who will vastly impact the economy of any society they are part of. He assured that the training to be given to students of the University would be both relevant and of premium standard that no graduate of the institution would comb the street looking for jobs. Said he, ‘Our graduates at the point of their graduation will be market-ready. Our vision is that no graduate of the Technical University will be roaming the street in search of jobs. It is either you are so good that the industries are ready to take you or you just decide to start your own business’.
On the challenge of cybercrime, the Tech-U administrator had this to say: ‘At the Technical University, we have a B.Sc. programme in Cybersecurity. One of the aspects of the training is that we will expose our students to the rudiments of harking as well as how to prevent and combat harking. You cannot check harking without knowing how to hark. They will put this knowledge into positive use. They will be part of the counter cyber-insurgency warfare. And with our B.Sc. programme in Software Enginnering, we want to train people who will develop applications that can make life much easier and contribute very well to the development of our economy.’
The VC equally informed the audience that all students of Tech-U would sign up for two vocational programmes to be handled by artisans and professionals in the fields. He added that ‘no student will graduate from the Technical University without being bilingual. All our students must undergo training in French. This will include immersion programme at the French Village at Badagry and Cotonou in Republic of Benin. It is another hedge we want our students to have above their peers. Being bilingual will widen their space of operation. It is our own way of addressing the low representations of Nigerians in many international organizations owing to a lack of competence in French language’.
In rounding off his address, he enjoined the public to join the Tech-U community in bringing its vision into fruition. He informed his audience that the University’s 15 academic programmes had received full accreditation from the National Universities Commission and the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board, and was set to begin academic activities in the third last of November 2017.
Packaged by Mariam Azeez
