AS UNILAG GOES DIGITAL

CITS,unilag, where the server is located

Just like yesterday, when Professor Adetokunbo Shofoluwe assumed office, as a communicologist, what came to my mind first was to have a word with him. I tried for nearly two months to go through protocol but the VC never had chance to speak with me and my team. Not because he was proud but I later got to understand fully the nature of his busy schedule.

To this end I decided to lead a team of fellow communication students to lay ambush for him at his 60th birthday anniversary held at the chapel of Christ our Light, Unilag. To my greatest surprise, the VC appreciated the effort and immediately rescheduled his plans for the next day to meet with us. That was where it all began. The following day, i matched majestically with my team to the eleventh floor office of the VC where we had an extensive interview with him. The vice chancellor stated that University of Lagos can be fully computerized by 2012. Prof. Shofoluwe averred that the University has what it takes to become an e-University in the next two and half years. As a professor of computer science, he believed that the institution is ready and has all it takes. According to him“e-University is about leveraging information and communication technology, leveraging of the processes of the University’s activities on ICT. He mentioned that there were already some faculties like wireless connectivity and computers in place and that all that is needed is to train the staff and provide more infrastructures”

True to his words, as part of its efforts at preparing for the post -Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME), the University of Lagos has built a 500 seat electronic test centre.

The building which was a partnership between University of Lagos and Electronic Test Company of Nigeria was opened last week when a memo was sent to all the departments of the University to allow their students to come to the test centre and checkthe good working condition of the equipment.

Speaking with one of the facility manager, mr Olawale, the concept of electronic test is not a new invention in Nigerian Universities. He made reference to other Universities where their company has been to install the equipment. Some of the Universities according to him are; University of Maiduguri , Federal University of technology, Akure and University of Ilorin among others.

He added that the computer-based test will among other things generate the result of the students for them instantly and will help to avoid examination mal-practices especially as regard impersonation. According to him the student’s finger prints will be registered and closely examined to detect anyone who comes around to represent other students,

A cross section of sociology students at the centre also commented that they will prefer the computer base test not only for the post UTME but also for the school examinations. In trying to justify this, the students (Ajayi Damilola, Efunkoya Damilola and Efe- all 200 level) said that it takes longer time for the school to release their result and as such will prefer the electronic system which guarantees instant result.

Meanwhile, the VC himself acknowledged that the state of electricity on Unilag campus is one major hindrance that has the capacity to be-devil the digitalization process but he said that the university is working on research into alternatives. The question is how soon will these alternative come seeing that the electricity situation on the campus has since not change. As much as I really appreciate these computerisation efforts, I hope something will be done on electricity very fast, especially as we await another exam. Long live VC! Long live UNILAG! Long live AKOKITES! GBOSA!!!