IT: Group Urges Synergy Between Academia, Industry

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Young Innovators of Nigeria (YIN) has called for synergy between the academia and Information Technology (IT) industry to bridge the gap in IT skills ecosystem.
President of the group, Mr Andrew Abu, made the call at the presentation of its Connect to Change IT Skill Gap Research at the ongoing conference of Academia in Information Technology Profession (AITP) in Abuja, Wednesday.
The theme of the conference was: `Information Technology for Promotion of Quality Education, Research and Local Content Development.’
According to Abu, tertiary institutions form the basis for the development of skills in IT, but the fundamental knowledge required for the IT graduates to thrive in the industry is lacking.
“IT is an enabler to solve problems in all areas and the university is the basis to develop skills.
“There is need for the reform of IT education which has the potential to grow the country’s economy and create jobs for the young population,” he said.
He called for the teaching module in tertiary institutions needed to involve more practicals to meet up with skill needed in the industry.
He said that lack of sufficient practical in IT courses had resulted in the poor turnout of graduates in the area.
Abu stressed that poor graduates in IT had contributed to unemployment and underemployment of individuals who desire jobs in IT.
On his part, Prof Afolayan Olaniyi, President, Academia in Information Technology Profession (AITP) said that the poor quality of graduates in IT area of study had made them unemployable.
Olaniyi observed that poor funding had contributed to the quality of education in IT graduates.
However, the AITP chief said it was important that the academia and the industry utilise what is available in the country to develop local IT products.
According to him, the best way to solve challenges in the country is the application of IT.
He, however, said it was necessary for experts in the IT industry to mentor students in tertiary institutions for better skilled individuals.
The chairman of the conference, Prof. Ishaya Tanko, Director ICT, University of Jos, said that IT curriculum in tertiary institutions were obsolete.
Tanko added that the curriculum required upgrade to measure up to the demands of the industry and as well be in line with global curriculum.
He also said that the industry and the academia need synergy to function better, adding that no organisation could exist in isolation.
Mr Samson Osagie, Executive Director Marketing and Business Development Nigeria Communication Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Ltd, said with the collaboration of partners like YIN the organisation could use locally made applications to consolidate national security.
Osagie added that the organisation was working assiduously to launch the country’s satellite to ensure the furtherance of IT development in the country.
Prof Isa Pantami, Director General National Information Technology development Agency (NITDA) said the agency was putting measures in place to intervene in IT skill gaps.
Represented by Dr Christopher Okeke, Director Cyber Security, the D-G said that they were encouraging local application development to reduce importation of apps that could be locally made.
He, however, said NITDA would only encourage importation of applications where it could not be locally produced.
According to him, encouraging local content will reduce capital flight of IT products and services.
Pantami said that gaps in IT skills were not to be blamed on either the academia or the industry, adding that Nigerians were skillful and the enabling environment would make the sector thrive.
Mr Anthony Oni, Principal Partner YIN, during the presentation of the research said that IT practitioners in the industry were consulted on the needs in the industry.
Oni stated that all the practitioners made reference to the fact that IT graduates could not marry the experience in school with the industry requirements.
The Tide soruce reports that 169 Nigerian IT companies with a workforce of 10 employees were used as a case study for the research.
Goodwill messages also came from Nigerian Communication Commission, Baze University, Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria and Nigeria Computer Society.