How IT can boost varsities’ efficiency, employment, employability, by don

Vice-Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada (IUO), Professor Lawrence Ezemonye, yesterday said bridging the gap between the academics and industry can be achieved through digital literacy, saying the country needs strategic thinkers to turn competence and skills to wealth.

Ezemonye said digital skills remain key to the nation’s technological advancement, as well as provides real-time support for lifetime employment and employability.

“In the academics, the Infusion of business model I to research exemplifies email spirit. It improves retention rates and customers appeal.

“Digital skill is key to successful entrepreneurship, greatly reducing operational costs and enhancing innovation and production of eco-friendly products,” he stated.

Ezemonye spoke yesterday at the South-South Cisco Academy Instructors workshop organised by the Igbinedion University, with the theme, “Digital Skills and Entrepreneurship Development.”

The significance of digital skills, he said, was key in the 21st-century education and national development, adding that the collaboration between Cisco Academy Systems and Igbinedion University attracted 185 participants from over 30 registered institutions.

“We believe that to increase the number of future-ready and industry-relevant students that will excel in the current IT-driven world, great care and deliberate effort need to be put into preparing instructors, hence the need to partner with one of the top players in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sphere.

“It is now mandatory for students to be equipped with digital skills to enable them to participate in the 21st century professional and socio-economic community,” he added.