UNN to host S’East regional centre for AI

NSUKKA —-The Managing Director/CEO of Nigerian Satellite Communications Limited, NIGCOMSAT, Nkechi Egerton-Idehen, yesterday disclosed plans to make the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, the host for South East regional centre for Artificial Intelligence, AI.

The NIGCOMSAT CEO further said that the centres would be spread across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria to as part the strategy to drive digital economy for the nation.

She made the disclosure at UNN, during the 20th Herbert Macaulay Memorial Lecture, HMML, titled ‘Harnessing Practical Engineering Solutions for Sustainable Economic Development,’ organized by the Faculty of Engineering, UNN to celebrate the achievements of Macaulay and other alumni of the University who have contributed to national development.

She further said that the idea behind the AI centres was to enable Nigeria to be at the forefront of driving digital economy.

While discussing the topic, Championing Innovation: Digital Transformation and Economic Diversification in Nigeria,’ Egerton-Idehen, who was the 20th HMM Lecturer, harped on the need to embrace digital economy which she said would enable young entrepreneurs to develop solutions for local challenges using advanced technologies.

She further said that single oil economy has made Nigeria’s economic situation vulnerable. She also recommended for the diversification of the economy through digital transformation, quoting a World Bank’s report which claimed that “digital transformation has the potential to add nearly $5 trillion to the global GDP by 2025.”

“Regional Digital Transformation can help power development in Africa. This transformation isn’t just about the latest gadgets; it’s about using technology to create new opportunities, improve efficiency, and empower people,” she said.

She also said that for the digital economy to thrive in Nigeria, the curriculum of our tertiary institutions should be updated to reflect the new technology, adding that our tertiary institutions should be equipped to teach emerging technologies such as AI, Blockchain, robotics, Internet of Things among others.
She also recommended right government and industry policies, investment in infrastructure, public and private sectors collaborations, and funding of researches as some of the practical ways of migrating to digital economy.
Earlier in his address, the Dean, Faculty of Engineering, UNN, Prof. Emenike Ejiogu, described the HMML as the longest running academic lecture series in any Nigerian University , adding that the Faculty Board resolved in October 5, 1978 to establish it

Professor Ejiogu who is also the Director, Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Power and Energy Development, ACE-SPED further said that this year’s lecture was envisioned for “town and gown” interaction in order to proffer solutions to the plethora of challenges facing Nigeria.

He lauded the UNN Vice Chancellor, Prof Charles Igwe, for providing conducive learning environment for the academic community which according to him has provoked impactful researches for national growth.

In his lead paper presentation, the Director General of Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, Clement Onyeaso, said that adequate data is needed to enable sustainable infrastructure development in Nigeria.

He called state governments to make adequate use of data emanating from his agency to mitigate disasters, regretting that some of them paid deaf ears to some of the predictions which sometimes resulted in national calamities, adding that hydrology plays crucial role in sustainable management of water resources especially in Nigeria where the dynamics of water availability significantly impact agriculture.

Also in his opening remarks , the Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Paul Eke, enjoined engineers to apply critical thinking and other engineering methods in order to address poverty and underdevelopment in Nigeria.