- Nigerian Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Turner Isoun, has stated that it would benefit Nigeria tremendously if she becomes part of the Global University System (GUS). The GUS is an initiative to educate students through a satellite or wireless telecommunications infrastructure, mostly using the internet.
Minister Isoun said this worldwide initiative is one way in which "developing countries can catch up with the rest of the world, because it will aid human and capacity building."
According to the Global University System (GUS), the system "helps higher educational institutions in remote and rural areas of developing countries to deploy broadband internet in order for them to close the digital divide and act as the knowledge centre of their community for the eradication of poverty and isolation."
The Nigerian Science Minister said he saw tremendous possibilities in the GUS for education in Nigeria. Minister Isoun made these comments when Dr Takashi Utsumi, Chairman of the Global System Analysis and Simulation Association in the USA, visited him in his office in Abuja, the Nigerian capital.
Minister Isoun said that Dr Takashi had been coming to Nigeria at a time the country's federal government was embarking on the computerisation of schools all over Nigeria, noting that "Nigeria will serve as a hub to link other West African countries since this is the first time they are coming to Africa."
The Minister advised Dr Takashi to take time off to visit the new generation universities and give them the privilege to be part of the Global University System.
Earlier, Dr Takashi said they were in Nigeria to see how Nigeria could subscribe and hook-up to the Global University System, "which will greatly give the youths the opportunity to access the Internet and be able to compete favourably with other youths of the world," according to a statement released by the Nigerian government.
He said while in the country he intends to visit three universities, University of Jos, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, as pilot universities to see "how possible it is for them to come on board."
Also present during this visit were, the Director-General of Nigeria's National Information Development Agency, Professor Gabriel Ajayi, the Special Assistant to the Minister, Emmanuel Denunu, amongst other officials of the Ministry, according to the Nigerian government.
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