United States-trained Information Technology expert, Dr. Seyi Akanbi, has called for increased investment in technology-driven research, to meet today’s demands.
He said investments in higher education must yield results as skilled graduates and solutions, and not just injecting money.
Akanbi said improved quality in education would encourage further investments and build public trust.
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Speaking during his presentation: “Emerging Technology and Teaching in Higher Education”, at EDGE Conference at the proposed American Open University in Ibadan, Oyo State, he identified the mismatch between academic curricula and labour market demands as a contributor to unemployment in Nigeria.
Akanbi, an adjunct professor at the University of District of Columbia, Washington DC, said the conference aimed to address challenges by equipping students with employability skills and ensuring educators were trained.
He said: “Our goal is to prepare students for the workforce, while also enabling educators to train future-ready graduates. These efforts not only benefit individuals, but also enhance the economy by creating skilled professionals, who contribute to national development.”
The President of Open, Distance, and e-Learning Association, Prof. Francis Eghokare, stressed the need for regulatory policies in higher education.
Participants, including Ooreoluwa Aladejuyigbe and Bayo Agoola, highlighted the importance of the training for human capital development, saying the conference provided critical analyses of challenges in Nigeria’s higher education sector and strategies to address them through technology.