UNILORIN to be fully automated-Egbewole
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, has expressed the desire of his administration to fully automate all processes at the University by the end of the third quarter of this year.
Speaking at a meeting with a delegation of the Swedish-Nigeria Educational Technology Solution Company, otherwise known as SchoolTry, in his office penultimate Thursday (February 15, 2024), Prof. Egbewole said that the University is doing everything worth doing towards positioning itself as a global player in the field of education with the help of automation.
The Vice Chancellor particularly highlighted the desire to automate the admission processes as he also envisioned a situation where prospective admission seekers won’t have any physical interaction with any University official from the point of post-UTME to their eventual commencement of lectures.
Prof. Egbewole, who is a Council Member of the Chartered Institute of Management and Leadership, said, “We want to establish our ‘UNILORIN factors,’ becoming renowned for our reputation in seamless automated processes”.
To achieve this, the Vice Chancellor directed all units of the University to begin to adhere to the new thinking, adding that, the goal is to alleviate pressures on staff members and enhance efficiency in operations, including result generation, processing, and uploading.
The Vice Chancellor also pointed out the need to transform current manual operations within the University, citing an example from the Registrar’s office. He envisioned an automated approval process for correspondences, where the Vice Chancellor or any other official of the University can approve or comment on letters before they proceed to the next recipient.
This approach, according to Prof. Egbewole, would ensure information security, prevent misplacement, and allow global accessibility to critical communications.
Commenting on the trust his administration has on the visiting Company, the Vice Chancellor said, “At the preliminary stage, the identity of the three presenters who wanted to partner the University on the development of a new portal was unknown to us. Yet the management was persuaded by SchoolTry’s presentation from day one, leading to the establishment of a successful relationship. It became evident to all that SchoolTry was the right choice, and we are grateful for the decision, as we have not experienced any regret.
Speaking further, Prof. Egbewole said, “Our visit to Sweden proved enlightening, revealing SchoolTry’s connections with the Nigerian Embassy, prominent facilities like the Epic Centre (the largest innovating centre), and Karolinska Medical University with around 600 startups.This implies that, beyond our collaboration with SchoolTry, we now have the opportunity to interact with these other organisations”.
Speaking earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of SchoolTry, Mr Ismail Eleburuike, expressed his unwavering conviction that his Company would bring pride to the University of Ilorin.
Mr Eleburuike, who is also an alumnus of the University, reaffirmed his Company’s commitment to building a seamless and user-friendly portal for UNILORIN staff, students, alumni and other key stakeholders.
Reflecting on his journey, which led to the establishment of SchoolTry, Mr Eleburuike shared his experience of leaving for Sweden in 2008 after completing his NYSC in Lagos.
Having pursued his Masters and worked for Ericsson in Sweden, he disclosed that he was inspired by his exposure to e-learning platforms and virtual classes. He said that exposure culminated in his dream of bringing the transformative ideas to Nigeria, leveraging the lessons learned in Sweden.
He explained that his Company is currently operating in three African countries such as Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria; with Nigeria being a major market.
Highlighting the vision to digitise and provide access to millions of youths for financial independence and global competitiveness, Mr Eleburuike acknowledged the challenges accompanying changes.
He, however, assured the management of the University that SchoolTry is committed to addressing and rectifying issues that may arise promptly.
Sharing insights into the scale of the UNILORIN project, the SchoolTry CEO revealed that they encountered massive traffic, with nearly 50,000 requests within one second trying to do four different things. He noted the enormity of migrating records from 2005 to the present, totaling close to ten million records without mistakes.
Despite minor challenges, Mr Eleburuike assured the University of success, emphasising the broader goal of marketing SchoolTry to other African countries.
Also speaking, the Director of Computer Services and Information Technology (COMSIT), University of Ilorin, Prof. Rasheed Gbenga Jimoh, shared significant insights into the SchoolTry team’s composition and their commitment to elevating the University.
Prof. Jimoh expressed joy that four out of the ten members of the SchoolTry team are proud alumni of the University of Ilorin. He explained that the Chief Executive Officer, Ismail Eleburuike, graduated from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering; the Chief Technical Officer, Mr. Salami Muyideen, completed his studies at the Department of Physics as Dr Hamzat Aliyu did from the Department of Electrical Engineering while Dr Mashood Adeyanju graduated from the Department of Mathematics.
To ensure a smooth implementation of their plans, Prof. Jimoh said that the SchoolTry team has been actively engaging with various stakeholders across the University such as the Centre for Open and Distance Learning (ODL), Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), UNILORIN Consultancy Centre, the Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, and Ilorin Business School (IBS).
He emphasised that a comprehensive plan has been mapped out to ensure the successful execution of their initiatives.
The meeting was attended by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Olubunmi Abayomi Omotesho; the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Management Services), Prof. Suleiman Folorunsho Ambali; the Deputy Vice Chancellor Designate (Research, Technology and Innovation), Prof. Adegboyega Adisa Fawole; the Registrar, Mr Mansur Adeleke Alfanla; the Ag. Bursar, Mr. Abdulbarki Oba; the Director of Works, Engr. Ramoni Kolawole Amoo; the Ag.Director of Phisical Planning Unit, Mr AbdulRahman Toyin Jimoh; and the Director of UNILORIN Consultancy Services, Prof. Basir Raji.