•To Go Online
By Aaron Ukodie
The Post Graduate Programme, 9TEPP, run by 9Mobile, at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zarai, to train high manpower for the telecommunication industry, may be taken online, as pilot project has been reviewed to further improve on objective and boost impact on education, industry and economy.
9Mobile officials, who have taken a second look at the programme, believe that, with adequate funding, the partnership with ABU, considered as an example of collaboration between the industry and academia, can lead to industrial benefits and scientific innovations which will lead to economic and scientific growth.
To achieve this, 9Mobile has considered a review of the scope of the program to align with industry needs, curriculum review of MSc program to address the industry challenges and the opportunities, extend the reach of the 9TEPP MSc program by going online and providing support for taking of the research findings to markets.
If proposals are implemented, the online platform of the programme may attract fees, structured under a revenue sharing model with the online learning platform provider.
9mobile also plans to build a Digital
Academy that will be dedicated to the training of more Nigerians in Information and
Communication Technology.
Management of both 9mobile led by the Acting Managing Director, Stephane Beuvelet, and the ABU led by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ibrahim Garba, have met on the comprehensive review of 9TEPP to chart ways to make it more impactful, especially in response to emerging industry trends.
9mobile and Ahmadu Bello University may also seek partnership with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and the National Universities Commission (NUC) as part of proactive steps to expand 9TEPP’s scope and impact.
The mobile company also hopes to dispense efforts towards development of process automation (in new and emerging artificial integration and process automation technology), provision of local and international industrial training for the faculty members (lecturers) to update their knowledge by means of attachment to telecommunication companies and purchase of equipment and software for the upgrade of 9mobile Telecommunication Laboratory set up in ABU.
The programme established in 2013 involved the setting up of a postgraduate department of Telecommunications Engineering at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.
9Mobile’s ultimate objective was to establish a first of its kind postgraduate department of telecommunications engineering at the institution to address the skills gap in engineering programs, drive innovation and create a pool of experts required to drive development of the telecommunication sector in Nigeria and impact the society positively.
The project covered funding for five years (2013- 2018), award of PhD scholarships tenable at the University of Plymouth, United Kingdom, provision of supports, such as e-resources, industrial attachment for MSc telecommunication engineering students at 9Mobile operations and establishment of telecommunication laboratory at the university.
It also covered provision of teaching and research resources for the MSc telecommunications engineering programme at the institution, provision of annual subscription to online research resource to support MSc students’ study, a month internship to MSc students, attached to Engineering team at Abuja Regional Office of 9mobile, internship at Etisalat Academy, United Arab Emirate, for the three best graduating students in MSc. Program.
In pursuit of the programme, 9mobile, in 2014, awarded PhD scholarships, in Communication Engineering, to four lecturers of ABU to study at University of Plymouth. It also sponsored two lecturers from Plymouth to ABU, for two weeks, for every semester, to lecture the MSc students. One person from Etisalat Academy in Dubai also visited ABU to teach for two weeks, every semester.
Within the period, five MSc students have benefitted from the programme to the tune of 498,000 British pounds. Four of them have returned and are now teaching at the telecommunication engineering department of ABU.
The project, according to 9Mobile officials has considerably improved the quality of the taught program, improved the research capability of the students, which is required for a successful completion of PhD program.
9Mobile maintains that with the programme, the capacity of MSc students to accomplish their doctoral program has been increased, the capacity of the department to deliver quality teaching has been improved and the capacity of the MSc students to accomplish their doctoral program has been increased.
The 9TEPP is 9mobile’s flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program on education established in partnership with Plymouth University of United Kingdom, Huawei, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, the Etisalat Academy in the United Arab Emirate (UAE) and the National Office for Technical Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP).
Other initiatives under the 9Mobile education programme include adoption of four schools were class rooms were built, computer stations and clean water resources provided. The company has also provided scholarships, merit awards to 1200 Students in 30 Universities across Nigeria.
