Birthed in 2009, started walking fully in the latter part of 2010 at a one block building surrounded by beautifully designed containers at the premises of the Civil Service Training Center and Government Secretarial School at Cantonments, the Accra Institute of Technology (AIT) has defied all odds and become a leader in producing PhDs in Ghana, one of Africa’s major centres of learning.

Once described by a Nigerian journalist as a “potter cabin university” with the registrar’s office labeled as a “two by four cubicle”, the AIT success story provides a model on Africa’s pathway to knowledge and skill development in a more globalised economy. And it is worthy of emulation.

Captained by Professor Clement Dzidonu, a world renowned Computer Scientist, backboned by eminent academics in the Board of Trustees (BoT) including Prof Edward Ayensu (Formerly of World Bank Inspection Panel) as Chairman, Prof. Ivan Addae Mensah (Former Vice Chancellor, University of Ghana) as Vice Chairman, Prof. Jophus Anamuah Mensah (Former Vice Chancellor of University of Education, Winneba), and Prof. Samuel Adjepong (Former Vice Chancellor, University of Cape Coast), the AIT has been built on a solid rock of knowledge champions.

In this league are also Prof. William Otoo Ellis (Former Vice Chancellor, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology), Very Rev. Ama Afo Blay (Former Director General of Ghana Education Service), Dr. Grace Bediako (Former Government Statistician) and Mr. K.S. Yamoah (Former Managing Director of the Ghana Stock Exchange). All of these academic have helped AIT to lead the way in terms of production of quality PhDs in the country, and the rest of the continent to set the pace in knowledge engineering.

Through its partnership with Open University of Malaysia, the Accra Institute of Technology has produced Eighty-One (81) PhDs since 2016. This translates into an average of Fourteen (14) PhDs per year. This is unprecedented and a great achievement for a young private university like AIT. Considering the fact that the PhD per capita of Ghana is alarmingly low, the contributions of AIT in bridging this gap cannot be underrated. More importantly, the partnership has fostered the new direction of knowledge-sharing across continents to close the gap deep learning and development.

Did this Come Easy? Not at all! To offer, run and graduate students on an internationally benchmarked Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree programs in Ghana is by all standards a herculean task. As a non-religiously denominated or related private university which is school fees driven with no support from government nor any other organisations, running PhDs can be very expensive. After paying supervisors, external examiners and reviewers, PhD Research Committee members, internal and external moderators, etc, the university retains virtually nothing and makes no profit. This explains why most of the private universities shy away from this daring venture since it is not financially worthwhile.

Additionally, getting supervisors and external examiners to mentor these PhD students is another huge task. Running PhDs in special areas like Business Administration, Information Technology, Engineering and Education come with so many difficulties in attracting supervisors and external examiners who dully qualify to mentor the students.

However, AIT has surmounted this hurdle with collaborations with several internationally recognized universities with competent Professors who have been working hard to produce these PhDs.

Speaking at the 18th graduation of AIT, held on 17th December, 2022 at the ultramodern Knowledge City Campus in Kokomlemle, where AIT graduated Sixteen (16) PhDs at a goal, the President of AIT could not hide his joy especially having led his team to make this huge contribution to academia in the country.

He stated: “Mr. Chairman, I will need to pause here to comment on the historic nature of the 18th Congregation of this young and dynamic University. Today we are making yet another history in this country’s annals of private university education. Mr. Chairman, it is my great honor and privilege to announce that we are today graduating for the 10th time, PhDs who studied at this university. This major achievement of a university barely ten years old makes AIT the first private university in Ghana to successfully offer and graduate students on an internationally benchmarked PhD program. This is no small achievement if put within the context of the fact that the PhD per capita of Ghana is extremely low. Mr. Chairman, we can claim that we have become one of the leading postgraduate research institutions on the continent. I want to take this opportunity to assure you that we are confident that we will again be graduating more PhDs next year.”

He added: “The Quality? The quality of the PhDs produced by AIT is not in contention. As highlighted by the President in his speech ‘Mr. Chairman, I am delighted to inform you that, at AIT, we are mindful of the need to provide high-standard tertiary education and training not only aimed at producing qualified and highly skilled people to drive the nation’s development in the information age but also to produce job creators, with the requisite entrepreneurial skills and expertise to set up and run their corporations in various fields. Also, as a research university, our focus on cutting-edge research work through our postgraduate programs and research initiatives is geared towards supporting the nation’s science, technology, and innovation (STI) drive towards developing a modern knowledge-based and wealth-generating economy in the information and technological age.”

AIT’s milestones underscored why it was ranked the best private university in Ghana in 2018 and 2019 and was also awarded the Best Technology University in Ghana for the fourth year running by Ghana Tertiary Awards.
Quality of the PhDs produced by AIT is shown in the progress of their graduates. Currently, AIT has Pro Vice Chancellors in public universities who became Professors in less than three years after completion. 60% of the graduates have become Senior Lecturers, Associate Professors and Full Professors few years after graduation. The strict requirements by AIT for students to publish minimum of five papers in a reputable and ranked journal sets the foundation for this growth. The PhD Candidature system where students are mentored by the PhD Research Committee for one year instead of just one supervisor through series of presentations and the strict requirement to write minimum three chapters of your thesis within that period also contributes heavily to the success of these students.

In the last 10 years of the program, AIT has graduated PhDs who are on the academic and administrative staff of almost all the private and public universities in Ghana and a number of Nigerian universities. Given the high international academic standard of the program, more than half of our PhD graduates in academia obtained their Associate or Full Professor within three years after graduation. These are outstanding landmarks pointing to how Africa can close the gaps for deep knowledge and research as it gears into the fourth industrial revolution (4IR).

If anyone thought AIT is resting on its laurels, then such people must rewrite their notes. At the 18th graduation ceremony, thirty-five (35) students graduated to become PhD Candidates after completing the first three chapters of their thesis in the first year. They should be completing their PhDs in two years. This is coupled with a number of students who are going through their Post Viva corrections and the twenty (20) students who are preparing to submit their thesis for examination. Two years from now, it is estimated that AIT will graduate not less than forty (40) additional PhDs.

The Chairman of the AIT Board of Trustees, Prof Edward Ayensu summed it all up in his speech at the 18th graduation: “So far, we are proud to report that our efforts in all directions are proceeding according to plan. We can assure this Congregation, and all stakeholders, that we shall not relent in our efforts to ensure the full fulfillment of that vision”

Conspicuously, the Accra Institute of Technology is showing the way and will fill the PhD gap in the country and across Africa in no time.

My final message to students all of Africa, start your journey with AIT from Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD in Business Administration, Engineering, Information Technology, Computer Science, Education and Health and Safety.
Indeed! Your journey to the top starts at Accra Institute of Technology as it lives to its payoff as the University of the Future beginning today. Yes! In AIT, Africa has a chance to leapfrog; the milestones achieved by AIT in so short a while proved that point.

Dominic Osei-Boakye is Registrar at AIT

 

The Accra Institute of Technology (AIT) has assured international students of affordable tuition fees and unbroken, no-strikes academic programme even in the face of global recession, rising cost of living including educational fees and numerous strikes in universities across the world.
AIT, an independent technology-focused research university based in Accra, has been consistently ranked as the top private university in Ghana and one of the leading educational institutions in West Africa since it commenced its academic year in 2009.
AIT is affiliated with Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and Open University Malaysia allowing it to offer expansive, flexible and rigorous academic programmes to about the highest number of international students in Ghana all at highly affordable rates to students.

“AIT has made affordable fees, indeed, non-prohibitive education the hallmark of its mission underscored by its motto of ‘service, leadership, and scholarship.

Fee per semester is as low as S$500 per semester and students don’t have to buy books, handouts etc., as all these are available on our system. You can also complete the program online without coming to Ghana,” said Registrar of AIT, Mr. Dominic Osei-Boakye.

AIT has built a formidable reputation in over 20 years as a student-friendly, stable academic environment focusing on offering practical skills and leadership capacity to its students.

As global economy continues to bite, several universities have embarked on labour strikes forcing suspension of academic activities. In Australia, University of Auckland, staff are currently on strike under the Tertiary Education Union (TEU) over wage negotiations; in the US, California universities’ academic workers have embarked on strike in the face of rising housing costs; and in Nigeria, universities downed tools for months over funding and wage issues.

“These are challenges we have been able to successfully navigate as the No.1 private higher institution in a way that has ensured that academic programmes once started by our students are successfully completed allowing them the benefits of optimal scholarly pursuit,” said Osei-Boakye.

According to him, “The AIT success story cannot be told without mentioning the creativity, strong leadership, and direction from their able President, Prof. Clement Dzidonu. The award-winning Professor has, through AIT transformed educational delivery in the country using Technology. It is little wonder then that he deservedly won the Best Educator of The Year Award.”

Last year, AIT graduated its eighth batch of PhDs during its 16th Graduation Ceremony bringing the total number of PhDs graduated at AIT since 2016 to Forty-Nine (49) in the fields of Engineering, Business Administration, Education, and Information Technology.

“All indicators point to the fact that AIT as a university with its high-powered and academically distinguished Board of Trustees are meeting several envisaged milestones as a young and growing dynamic institution which is showing all the encouraging signs of becoming a world-class university,” said the Chairman of the AIT Board of Trustees, Professor Edward Ayensu at a function months back.

 

 

 

The need to get an education and international exposure has always been on the minds of many Nigerian youths. There have been calls for oversea institutions especially in North America to deepen their scholarship program for international students. In line with this reality, The University of Ottawa, a top-notch university in Canada recently made it known that they opening opportunities for Nigerians to utilize their scholarship worth up to $100,000 for African students.

The University of Ottawa made known that the new four-year entrance and excellence scholarship is worth up to $100,000 for African students newly admitted to English undergraduate programs in engineering, science, or social sciences.

They said that “This renewable scholarship is offered to citizens of African countries who are newly admitted to one of the eligible undergraduate programs offered in English by the faculties of Engineering, Science, or Social Sciences.”

They added that “Depending on their average, eligible students could receive an excellence scholarship worth at least $CAN70,000 or an entrance scholarship worth at least $CAN50,000 over four years. Totaling more than $40.5 million, our undergraduate international scholarship and financial aid program remains among the most generous at any major Canadian university. It rewards not only your pre-university academic achievements but also your achievements every term of full-time study. The scholarship will give African students studying in English access to many programs across three faculties by significantly reducing their tuition. ”

In conclusion, they opined that “To help students throughout the application process, the University of Ottawa will host several virtual information sessions to answer questions and advise prospective students. Eligibility criteria, programs available, and conditions are presented on the uOttawa International English Scholarship website.

The University of Ottawa is an international hub of over 46,800 bright and engaged individuals, including more than 9,300 students from 145 countries. Located in the heart of Canada’s capital, uOttawa offers the highest quality undergraduate and graduate education. The University of Ottawa ranks among the top 150 universities in the world. Ottawa is consistently ranked one of the world’s top 20 cities to live in and one of the best cities for quality of life in Canada.

 

 

 

 

IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization, has launched the IEEE Continuous ED initiative to make its online courses for continuing education and professional development more affordable, accessible, and relevant to engineers and other technical professionals in Africa.

Eligible businesses, industries, and organizations, in both the public and private sectors in Nigeria and Ghana, can enroll in the IEEE Continu>ED pilot project for a four-month free trial to a selection of eighteen of IEEE’s premium course programs. Topics included in the IEEE Continu>ED pilot program include Digital Transformation, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, 5G, The Smart Grid, Power Safety Standards, and more.

“This is an exceptional opportunity for companies in Africa to give their employees access to high-quality technical content,” says Vincent Kaabunga, former chair of the IEEE Africa Council, “that will impact productivity and keep organizations competitive in today’s rapidly changing technological world.”

Do you wish to develop and advance the educational level of your staff? Do you want the kind of professional education that will transform and change the way your employees work and contribute to the organization’s growth? If you answer yes to these questions, take advantage of the IEEE Contniu>ED pilot project to improve the technical knowledge and skills of your employees at no cost. This opportunity will be available for only a limited time.
To learn more, and sign up for the four-month free trial, visit; www.ieee.org/education/continuing-education-africa.html or contact Nneoma Ofodile: nneoma@ieee.org.

 

 

In furtherance of its digital capacity building initiative, the Federal Government of Nigeria has entered into partnership with Coursera, a global online digital skills acquisition platform, to empower twenty four thousand Nigerians with digital and developer skills in various fields over a three year period.

Declaring the training open on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR), today Wednesday, October 19, 2022, the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), noted that “we are championing a paradigm shift of prioritizing hard, soft and social skills over theory and this collaboration will go a long way in supporting this shift. Coursera is one of the world’s top online learning platforms hosting thousands of courses for some of the best universities and companies, and has remained at the forefront of providing the global society with the education and resources it needs to build and maintain digital systems”.

Professor Pantami also reiterated government’s commitment to ensure that the nation’s citizenry is digitally empowered and properly positioned for the fourth industrial revolution. “The recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) entered into, with Microsoft to train five million Nigerians in various fields of technology, is part of government’s efforts to fulfill the requirements for digital transformation as laid down in the Nigeria Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) document.”

While expressing delight over the partnership, the Honourable Minister called on Coursera to expand its presence in Nigeria and especially in the academia where it already has an existing partnership with Covenant University.

“Coursera is in partnership with Covenant University which is one of the best private universities in Nigeria based on their annual rankings and publications which I have keenly observed. I have no doubt that this partnership has had a huge impact on the institution’s excellent standing. I therefore request that Coursera engages more academic institutions, at least one, in each geo-political zone and bring their expertise to bear within the identified environments.”

The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, is spearheading this collaboration under the auspices of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

Uwa Suleiman

 

Nigeria’s foremost financial technology (Fintech) firm, FINTRAK recently graduated trainees from their academy. This is in line with the organization’s policy of building capacity in the information technology (IT) ecosystem with emphasis on fintech solution. The organization designed this program as a way of giving back to the society and also deepening the widening capacity gap now that the country is having skill flight to other nations.

Having seen numerous talents and potential in these kids, FINTRAK Software has decided to build and train army of youths that will power the country’s IT ecosystem in future.

Speaking about the event, the founder of FINTRAK and Group Managing Director, Bimbo Abioye said “FinTrak Academy is designed to train highly qualified and motivated young graduates to become tech guru in the field of Software Development, Software Implementation, Software Support and Software Quality Assurance. Its main goal is to give successful candidates the opportunity to improve their analytical and technical skills in an international environment.”

“The Fintrak Academy Programme is open on an on-going basis. Young graduates are enrolled at a fully accredited degree programme (Bachelor, HND, M.eng, Master, ) during the entire duration of their internship can apply online. Selected interns are on-boarded for full employment upon graduation”, he added.

On a final note, the Fintrak boss opined that “The Fintrak Academy provides young graduates the skills and foundational experience they need to begin building a career in their chosen field. Our development programs offer a variety of professional experiences within a structure that provides opportunities to learn, grow, and ultimately succeed.”

Apart from these trainings, Fintrak absorbed many of these graduands into their organisation . These graduands will man their various locations across the world. FinTrak Software is an indigenous  global company based in Nigeria,over the years have deployed solutions in many parts of Africa . Armed with and army of software engineers and professionals with competencies across banking, finance, audit, consulting and software development, FinTrak Software can be described to be on a  mission to support organizations and states with technologies and intellectual strength required to enable them surpass their stakeholders’ expectations.

ANTHONY EMEKA NWOSU

 

Meet – Prof Oghenetega Ighedo, Nigerian born Professor of Pure Mathematics, she is the first black woman to obtain a PhD in Pure Mathematics from the University of South Africa (UNISA), in its 149-year-long existence.

She also holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Pure Mathematics from the University of Ibadan and a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Industrial Mathematics from Delta State University, Nigeria.

Prof Oghenetega Ighedo is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of South Africa (UNISA).

“I was inspired by my mother – a retired maths teacher. I saw the way she was going about teaching it and when I grew older, I thought the way she did maths was interesting and I wanted to see if I could do it like her.”

“My decision to study pure mathematics was also motivated by the fact that not only are there few black pure mathematicians but there are fewer black women who are pure mathematicians.”

“I encourage young women not to let adversity and challenges deter them. When I started my PhD I was already married, I had two children and was expecting my 3rd child. In spite of being a mother and a wife, I was able to complete my PhD within three years,” said Prof Oghenetega Ighedo.

In a world that languages are constantly going extinct and dying off due to globalization, the need to keep native languages alive has been one of the greatest headaches and disturbances of those in humanities and linguistics in various universities across the world. One of the foremost universities in the world, Oxford University recently appointed Emmanuel Ikechukwu, a fellow in the university to spearhead the teaching of Igbo Language in the university at far away United Kingdom.

Emmanuel Ikechukwu Biography, The First Igbo Lecturer In Oxford University,  Educational Background, State & Parents

Igbo spoken in sub-Saharan African, spoken by over 50 million Nigerians and also with some creole version spoken in Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea and some adaptation in the Caribbeans.  This singular move has made scholars and lovers of language know that the Igbo and global bodies are desirous to see that Igbo language isn’t on decline or extinct in nearest future. This move has also made it possible for such a prestigious university to teach Igbo language to non-Igbos. This is coming at a time when catholic priest in Ikorodu a Lagos Suburb was relieved of his duties for chastising the Igbo for singing their hymns during the mass.

Showing appreciation, Emmanuel Ikechukwu Umenyiora took to his LinkedIn page and said, “My deepest appreciation to everyone who reached out to congratulate and celebrate with me on this appointment as the first Igbo lecturer in, University of Oxford, the world’s number one university. I’m truly grateful. This is a big win for all of us.”

He added “There’s a lot of work to do, and I believe that we would get it done collectively. This is for Africa, for a better understanding of ourselves and of the world. I encourage other African linguists do keep up their good works in fostering a better understanding of their respective cultures and of the world.”

“We must never relent, nor give up on our dreams. I am unable to keep up with all your congratulatory messages, yet I feel the unending warmth you all send my way. This post is an acknowledgement of it.”

“As we continue to celebrate, let’s continue to believe in great things, for whatever you set your mind to, you will achieve”, Ikechukwu concluded.

ANTHONY EMEKA NWOSU

As part of efforts in bridging the digital divide in the country through the implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has continued in its national-wide capacity building on digital literacy for the teeming youths and women across the country.

Digital literacy and skills, which is a key pillar in the Agency’s Strategic Road Map and Action Plan (SRAP) 2021-2024 have remained a key focus of the Agency’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, in ensuring the acquisition of digital skills across different works of life as well as support the goal of achieving 95% digital literacy level in the next ten years.

In implementing this strategic pillar, NITDA, in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, has concluded a 4-day capacity building of Women on ICT Techprenuership in Dutse, Jigawa State capital, where 60 brand new HP laptops were presented to all participants who were drawn from various local governments within the state.

The Governor of Jigawa State, Badaru Abubakar who was represented by the Special Assistant on Economic Empowerment, Malam Muhammed Mujaddadi commended NITDA’s commitment to innovation-driven enterprises for micro, small and medium enterprises to thrive.

The participants were advised to make good use of the tools received from NITDA in collaboration with the Jigawa State Government in ensuring that they are self-reliant in the Digital world.

In his remarks, The NITDA Director-General, who was represented by the supervisory department’s desk officer, Folayan Michael Oluwasegun, admonished all participants to apply the knowledge gained in their various fields.

“The aim of the training is to equip the women on how to utilize modern ICT tools in doing their online businesses”, the DG averred.

The participants expressed their gratitude to the organizers of the laudable program and promised to make good use of the knowledge and materials received.


On their part, the participants thanked NITDA and Jigawa state Government for this laudable initiative.


Businesses globally and Nigeria inclusive are geared to minimizing cost and maximizing profits leveraging on capacity and deployment of information technology(IT) tools such as software. Norak Technologies Limited, an indigenous digital transformation consultancy and software development company in Lagos has reiterated on the need for businesses to look inward when deploying business solutions. This remark was made after years of successful deployments of Norakle software, Enterprise resource planning (ERP) designed for higher productivity in various organisations with emphasis on retails and human resource outsourcing firms in the country.

Designed to make the everyday running of business easier and cost effective. The company has stated that the software is an online enabled application that is meant to ensure improved sales, improve productivity, and ensure maximum growth for businesses. Speaking to the media about Norakle software, Ifeanyi Iheanyichukwu, the Chief Technology Officer of Norak Technologies Limited said that , the software is designed to make businesses in Nigeria to be in tune with modern ways of running a business. He encouraged Nigerian businesses to buy indigenous software, he opined that Norakle is embedded with amazing features such as offline capability and cloud based integration for syncing.


Ifeanyi said, “You get over 50 tools, like CRM, Accounting System, Payroll Management, Project management to Task management, Human Resource time management, business process automation, invoicing, and much more. Norakle ERP is a cloud-based system with well integrated features that is easy to use, hence, limits headaches about data retrieval, disjointed systems or technicality in usage and can be installed on your own server so you can access at any time. Norakle ERP is a proven strategic tool for increasing sales, which in turn results in the growth of your business.”


“We built Norakle to take these challenges away from you, so you can focus on what you know or do best. We have incorporated many features such as Multi-Branch Management,Database Backup and QR Code /Barcode Scanner Integration. These features would help transform most organisations in the country and put them on the path of profitability”,he added.


With numerous benefits, the software having been designed in the country in line with the global best practice. The Norak Technologies informed the media that the software can be tweaked to meet various organisations’ businesses needs and model. Customer Relationship Management system, Marketing automation , Report and insights , Inventory Management Stock Location Management and Warehouse Management are few of the added features organisations enjoy. Taking after-sales serious, Norak Technologies included after Sales Service Management system in the software with underlying features such as Parts Management,Job Card/ Service Order Management,Quotes &Sales Invoice generation ,Customer Support System and many more.


Today, running companies in Nigeria is not a walk in a park. We constantly faced with administrative and organizational challenges, not to mention the complications of managing your sales and accounts. Too many businesses fail because these complications suck away at their time, leaving them with little time to grow their company. We developed Norakle to address these challenges that businesses face.

Anthony Emeka Nwosu