In its bid to encourage and support learning, skill acquisition and research in the area of Information Technology, the National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) has agreed to endow UNIJOS with a virtual library.
The move by the agency is to help the school community overcome its challenges as it pertains to access to research materials. It is worth noting that the school community had lost its university library to fire two years ago.
The assurance of a virtual library was made by the Director General of NITDA Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami during a courtesy visit led by Vice Chancellor, Prof Seddi Sebastian Maimako to the agency.
Maimako had lamented the challenges the school community has had to face since the fire incident. He pointed out difficulties in learning and research among members of the school community. While pleading for support the Vice-Chancellor also commended the agency for its varied interventions within the academic community.
Also, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) is already committed to rehabilitating the library to be completed by January 2019, however, Maimako said: “there is a need for us to move away from the conventional library to virtual library for robust and conducive learning environment.
“We have heard about your agency’s interventions in other institutions and we have identified virtual library as one of the things you can do for us, so we want to appeal to you to consider the University of Jos for this project.”
The impressed Director-General also lauded the Vice Chancellor for delivering the letter personally to the agency, commending Maimako’s effort, he described the move as a “clear indication of commitment to the success of the school.”
Pantami also reinstated the agency’s resolve to providing a Virtual library to improve the school community’s capacity for research and development.
He also said, “No physical book can take care of the increasing population of the school. I will make sure that the project is considered in this 2018 budget.”
Also, Pantami challenged the Vice Chancellor and his entourage to look into other areas in which NITDA could assist while also reiterating the agency’s commitment to supporting robust research and learning environment within Nigeria’s academic community.
In his words, “it is not only a virtual library that you can benefit from us but anything you think the agency can do for you. You can encourage your lecturers to request for research grant especially those carrying out research on Information and Communication Technology.”
