By Juliet Umeh

To ensure its graduates are future-ready leaders in the global digital economy, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, has taken a bold step to strengthen its educational offerings by  partnering with  ICT training organization, New Horizons Nigeria to embed Fourth Industrial Revolution, 4IR, skills into its academic curriculum.

The collaboration is designed to equip students with globally relevant competencies in emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, 3D Technology, the Metaverse, Web 3.0, Full Stack Development, and Cybersecurity, among others.

The Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, was formally signed by the Vice Chancellor of ABUAD, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, and Mr. Tim Akano, CEO of New Horizons Nigeria, in the presence of University Bursar, Pastor Dupe Babatola, and Deputy Director of ICT, Mr. Muyiwa Oladimeji.

Prof. Olarinde emphasized that the partnership aligns with ABUAD’s vision to continually foster innovation.

She said: “By integrating 4IR skills into our curriculum, we are preparing our students not just for today’s job market but to become drivers of technological advancement globally.”

Also, Akano lauded the collaboration as timely and strategic, noting Africa’s historical absence from previous industrial revolutions.

He said: “We cannot afford to miss out on the age of Artificial General Intelligence, AGI. Every profession, law, medicine, engineering, arts, will be redefined by AGI. Universities that fail to integrate 4IR skills today risk producing obsolete graduates tomorrow.”

He further emphasized that the major global challenges, hunger, disease, poverty, climate change, and youth unemployment, are essentially technological problems that require technological solutions.

Akona added: “Through this partnership, ABUAD graduates will be empowered to compete and lead globally alongside their counterparts from China, America, and Japan.”

He explained that New Horizons Nigeria, is Africa’s largest ICT training organization with over 200 centers nationwide, brings extensive expertise to the partnership.

He said: “A franchise of New Horizons International, the world’s leading ICT training institute, New Horizons Nigeria has empowered over 100,000 students annually and produced alumni who now hold key positions at global tech giants like Microsoft, Google, Oracle, Amazon, and MasterCard.”