Sanwo-Olu, ministers to speak as UNILAG unveils activities for international week

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has unveiled speakers and guests for its fourth International Week to include Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and four ministers.

The annual event, scheduled to kick off on Tuesday, 22 October, is themed: “Inclusive Digital Transformation and the University Promise”.

Mr Sanwo-Olu, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani; Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa; Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, a professor; and the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Uche Nnaji, will address participants at the opening ceremony.

The event will be held at the Tayo Aderinokun Lecture Theatre at the university’s main campus in Akoka.

UNILAG said it has partnered with various local and international associates to organise workshops and critical panel sessions, riding on various sub-themes as well as innovation challenges for university students to pitch ingenious ideas to solve power problems in the country.

The university said participants include diplomats, academic leaders, policymakers, and industry professionals.

“Diplomats representing the United States of America, South Africa, Spain, France, Germany, among others have been duly invited, and are expected to share their unique perspectives on cross-border collaboration to achieve digital transformation in higher education,” it said in a statement.

The host, the university’s Vice Chancellor, Folasade Ogunsola, a professor, said this year’s theme reflects the institution’s vision of an education system that leaves no one behind in preparation for the digital future.

Vice Chancellor of UNILAG, Folasade Ogunsola

She also expressed appreciation of support from Afretec Network which she said has been invaluable towards achieving the goals of digital transformation in the campus.

“As Nigeria aims to catch up to global educational standards, events like the International Week are an avenue to have the important and necessary discussions to advocate for and facilitate equitable inter-disciplinary collaborations to reimagine higher education through digital tools.

“Attendees are expected to walk away with actionable insights on how digitalisation can encourage inclusivity beyond the educational sector and across all areas of national development,” she said.

Governor, ministers’ address

Mr Sanwo-Olu’s address will focus on the state’s “consistent dedication to digital transformation in education”, particularly the EkoExcel initiative which has introduced tech-based solutions to support teachers and encourage student engagement in Lagos.

Mr Tijani, the minister of communications, innovation, and digital economy, will speak on the federal government’s vision for a technology-driven future in higher education.

Mr Alausa, the minister of state for health and social welfare, will speak from the perspective of governance during a discussion titled “Inclusive Digital Transformation and Global Health Equity”.

The education minister, Mr Mamman, will speak on how digital tools can improve education in Nigeria, particularly in terms of access and quality.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Mr Nnaji, will share how Nigerian universities can drive innovations that propel Nigeria towards national development and position the nation as a leader in digital education in Africa.

Other speakers, panellists

UNILAG said the week-long event will include plenary sessions and panel discussions on how digital technologies can improve various sectors, from education to health and urban planning. There would also be discussion on digital transformation in areas including pedagogical innovation to the future of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in Nigerian institutions

It added that the discussions will also revolve around the potential of digital technologies to transform traditional learning models and facilitate inclusive educational systems, global health equity and sustainable housing and development.

One of the panels, tagged “Inclusive Digital Transformation and the University Promise” features the Acting Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commision (NUC), Chris Maiyaki; the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund), Sonny Echono; Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Ishaq Oloyede, a professor, and the Deputy Pro-Chancellor International at the University of Warwick, Jo Angouri, also a professor.

There will also be a plenary session on “Digital Transformation and Inclusive Higher Education” which will feature Bobby Moroeof the South African Consulate and Jari Porras of the Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT) University, Finland, both professors.

Workshop on academic publishing

UNILAG said it has also partnered with Elsevier, a global leader in academic publishing, to provide training for Nigerian journal editors in international best practices in academic publishing.

The workshop, scheduled for 21 October at the Arthur Mbanefo Digital Research Centre (AMDRC), is to introduce editors to Digital Commons, Elsevier’s advanced platform that enables the visibility and accessibility of academic journals.

“Through support from the Afretec Network, the training is designed to educate Nigerian academic editors in the requisite skills to raise the quality and visibility of Nigerian academic journals,” it said.

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“The training will ensure that academic editors from all Nigerian universities in the South West are equipped to meet the rigorous standards required for global recognition such as indexing in Scopus.”

Ismail Ibraheem, a professor and Director of the Office of International Relations, Partnerships and Prospects, said, “Our partnership with Elsevier brings global expertise to our local academic editors. Academic publishing is at the core of what defines scholarship, and this collaboration is a step in the right direction to prepare our universities to meet international standards.”