The Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Mr Bosun Tijani, has unveiled the plans of the Federal Government to connect students of the University of Ilorin with their peers across Nigeria and beyond through a high-speed broadband initiative modeled after ‘eduroam’, an international WiFi network that connects students across UK campuses in the United Kingdom.
Mr Tijani disclosed this last Wednesday (November 13, 2024), when he visited the Vice Chancellor in his office ahead of joining innovation and development scholars who converged on the University Auditorium for the 6th Africalics International Research Conference.
Represented by his Special Assistant on AI Research, Mr Olubunmi Ajala, the Minister explained that the initiative, inspired by the eduroam model, is aimed at connecting all hostels at the University to a high-speed internet network that will link the institution to numerous higher institutions in Nigeria and worldwide and provide affordable access for all students.
Commenting on the 6th Africalics International Research Conference, themed “The Africa We Want: Leveraging Innovation and Digital Transformation”, the Minister praised the University of Ilorin for demonstrating its global relevance by hosting innovation and development scholars from across Africa.
He explained the importance of addressing what he called “wicked problems”, that is, complex challenges where solutions evolve and often generate new issues. The Minister added that such problems require innovation and technology.
Mr Tijani commended Africalics for providing a platform that drives innovation and intellectual engagement and bridges the gap between research and practical application, particularly in internet technology, emerging fields, and Artificial Intelligence.
The Minister said, “You cannot solve wicked problems without innovations and technology. The good thing is that digital technology is becoming easier to implement. Africalics provides a platform to drive these technological innovations. If we talk about the internet, new technology, or even Artificial Intelligence, we find out that research has been ongoing for a long time, and now we are moving towards application. We cannot exclude the academic environment from this transition from research to application. Africalics offers a collaborative space for scholars, especially those focused on innovation and digital technology.”
Welcoming the representative of the Minister to his office, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, expressed the appreciation of the University for the role the Minister and his ministry played in hosting the conference.
He, however, requested the Minister’s support in equipping the University’s Computer-Based Test (CBT) Centre and the Centre for Open and Distance Learning (CODL) with more computer systems to enhance teaching and learning activities.
The Vice Chancellor added that the University recently held an AI workshop, where students who performed exceptionally well were selected for additional mentorship and opportunities.
He, therefore, sought the Ministry’s support in advancing the University’s Artificial Intelligence initiatives.
