One of Nigeria’s telecommunications companies, 9mobile is set to enter a strategic partnership with the prestigious Bayero University, Kano (BUK), as the University prepares to establish the NCC’s center of excellence in telecommunication Research and Development.
Disclosing this in a statement, the Chief Sales Officer at 9mobile, Mr. Victor Nwaobia stated that the partnership will cover capacity building, modernized educational delivery and optimized technology delivery to students.
“At 9mobile, we are very excited about this unique opportunity to collaborate with Bayero University Kano, a renowned institution of high repute to establish and strengthen critical ICT infrastructure to significantly improve academic works in the institution through the utilization of ICT, tools,” he said.
Through this collaboration, the University will significantly improve its e-learning mode and boost internet connectivity, further strengthening teaching, learning, research, and administrative activities.
“Interestingly, education is one of the pillars of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and we are always willing to lend our support to advance educational development in the country. For this project, we are ready to deploy our resources, particularly in capacity building and optimizing technology affordability, to ensure that the centre when fully established, achieves its objective of academically impacting the lives of students and lecturers,” Nwaobia emphasized.
Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University Kano, Professor Sagir Ahbbas, while expressing appreciation of the governing council of the institution, said, “We at the university community have been following the various developmental strides of 9mobile and its contribution to the education sector. We are quite confident that this partnership will be mutually beneficial to BUK and 9mobile in the long run. Indeed, it is an honour to have the company agree to embark on this remarkable journey with us.”
The Centre of Excellence project is an initiative of the NCC aimed at providing the tools that will enable familiarity and confidence in utilizing Information Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching, research, and learning in some selected federal universities in the country. The centre is also designed to bridge the digital gaps in academia by providing computers, other ICT equipment, and the necessary facilities to provide lecturers, staff, and students with the requisite ICT skills essential for the 21st Century learning environment.