The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has inaugurated seven new laboratories established by the Africa Centre of Excellence on Technology Enhanced Learning (ACETEL) to detect crime and carry out ICT analysis.
Prof. Grace Jokthan, Director, ACETEL, said during the inauguration that the university had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on sharing of resources within agreed frameworks.
According to her, one of the laboratories inaugurated has a software called ‘Iris Face Recognition System’, used mostly by security agents as it is not common.
Jokthan said the laboratories, funded by the World Bank, would assist security agencies and the university community to combat crime, ensure a safe environment and enhance the Information Communication Technology (ICT) centre of the university.
“For instance, if there is a crime scene where someone is denying involvement and there is a picture of that crime scene and the police are able to arrest suspects, once the pictures of the suspects are scanned or matched through the device, it can pick out the suspect.
“It can be a defining chapter in a trial because it can pick out who was really responsible for a crime.
“We are glad that we were able to deliver on the project within the time frame; our students can access our laboratories remotely; those that can should come and access it physically and address the needs of the educational sector.
“The laboratories come with state of the art facilities where students can use for learning and research purposes,” she said.
Jokthan said that they would ensure that the laboratories were protected and maintained to ensure accessibility and security of the highest order.
The Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Prof. Olufemi Peters, while inaugurating the laboratories domiciled in the university’s headquarters, described the facilities as a game changer in virtual learning and Information Technology (IT).
“These facilities we commissioned today are game changer to develop capacity not just for our staff but to also be able to impact knowledge on our students at masters and postgraduate levels.
“It is also for those who might desire to have short circuit courses to enhance their immediate capacities.
“It is something of great joy that this is what we have; I am extremely proud that it is during my tenure the whole of these things are happening,” Peters said.
Peters said IT was the new currency in the world of global teaching, adding that he was delighted that the laboratories would further shore up the leading position of NOUN in digitalisation of learning.
He also commended the management of ACETEL for effectively driving the centre which is one the World Bank-sponsored project in the university.
“I want to thank the ACETEL management for keeping with the space; keeping with the focus and keeping with the mandate.
“You must not operate alone; you must collaborate with other relevant academic units in the university to ensure massive impact of the new facilities.
“ACETEL cannot afford to stay as an island; it cannot be a silo facility.
“The other facilities, academic units in the university must also find inroads to the facilities that ACETEL have and we will continue to support the centre,” Peters said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the laboratories inaugurated by the vice-chancellor included that of Management Information Systems, Cyber security, Virtual Reality, ACETEL Basic, Artificial Intelligence, ACETEL CISCO Academy and Multimedia. (NAN
