Vice‑Chancellor of the University of Ilesa, Prof. Olufemi Asaolu, and the Rector of Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igbo Ora, Prof. Akinola Akinlabi, have commended the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) for the training provided to both academic and non‑academic staff in Nigerian tertiary institutions in ICT and digital skills acquisition.
The commendations were made during the closing ceremony of the 2025 Advanced Digital Empowerment Programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADEPTI), which was sponsored by the NCC and organized by DBI at their respective institutions.
Their commendations follow a call by the ADEPTI Centre Coordinator, Prince Ezekiel Fagbemi, urging all tertiary institutions in Nigeria to adopt social media and leverage it for academic learning, training, and education.
Speaking at the University of Ilesa’s closing ceremony, Prof. Asaolu expressed the university’s management’s gratitude to the NCC and DBI for deeming the university worthy of the programme.
He stated that the expertise of the resource persons significantly enhanced the participants’ digital skills and inspired innovative approaches to technology integration.
While advocating for additional training opportunities, the Vice‑Chancellor encouraged all participants to engage actively and maximize the benefits of the training.
He remarked, “I extend my gratitude to the DBI team, led by Mr. Ezekiel Fagbemi, and the organizers for their dedication. Together, we are building a digitally empowered academic community capable of meeting 21st‑century challenges. We look forward to exploring further areas of collaboration, partnership, and innovative technology, as advised by the Centre Coordinator, Mr. Fagbemi.”
Prof. Akinlabi also acknowledged the training’s impact, noting that the management of Oyo State College has written to the NCC and DBI to commend the initiative for improving digital education in Nigeria through ADEPTI.
A copy of the letter, made available to our correspondent, expressed sincere gratitude to the NCC and DBI for selecting the college for the empowerment training.
The letter stated, “Like Oliver Twist, we are seizing this opportunity to request additional laptops and desktops.
The 100 devices previously provided are grossly inadequate, given JAMB’s requirement that our ICT centre must have at least 250 laptops/desktops to retain accreditation for students taking the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).”
The Centre Coordinator, Ezekiel Fagbemi, commended the participants and the management for their attitude, engagement, and commitment throughout the training.
He urged tertiary institutions nationwide to adopt new innovations and technology, particularly social media, in academic, skills‑acquisition training, learning, and general education.
He noted that Nigeria is lagging behind in integrating technology, especially new media, into academic and learning environments.
Mr. Fagbemi called for increased academic research in this field to advance digital learning, training, and education.
