Dr. Omoefe Okpimah(Representative of Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education) and Prof.Rosemary Ngozi Ikoh (Representative of VC-DELSU ) participating in DELSU AI Policy Workshop in Abraka on Thursday
By Oguns Sunny
The Vice Chancellor of Delta State University, Abraka, Prof. Andy Ogochukwu Egwunyenga, said DELSU decided to embrace Artificial intelligence because it has emerged as a critical driving force that is reshaping industries and societies worldwide.
In a press statement signed and made available to newsmen by Patrick Ijeh, Deputy Director of Ceremonials, Information and Public Relations, Delta State University, Abraka said, Prof. Egwunyenga stated this on Thursday in Abraka during a One-Day International Hybrid Workshop on DELSU AI Policy with the theme: “Towards Responsible Use of AI in DELSU for Teaching, Research and Community Service”
The Vice Chancellor who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Rosemary Ngozi Okoh, said the workshop was conceived to provide a platform for intellectual discourse, knowledge sharing and collaboration among experts in the field of AI. According to her, it is in a bid to enrich DELSU’s Draft AI Policy as a framework for ensuring that AI is used to enhance teaching and learning, improve research outcomes, streamline administrative processes and promote the social impact of the university.
Speaking at the occasion, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Ambassador Chris Maiyaki said the organization would always support Delta State University, Abraka to adopt and implement smoothly Artificial Intelligence policy so that, it would be easy to get other universities in Nigeria to follow suite.
The NUC helmsman who participated on line said, DELSU has blazed the trail in adopting an AI Policy and commended Delta State University, Abraka, for being the first university in Nigeria to develop a policy document on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in university education in Nigeria and pointed out that, AI has become a moving force in almost every field of human endeavour and can therefore no longer be ignored by any organization that desires to remain relevant.
Ambassador Maiyaki, who was Special Guest of Honour at the event described DESLU AI Policy as timely and critical because of the need to venture into AI with utmost caution since Nigeria is yet to attain the level of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) sophistication of the advanced nations.
In his opening address at the event, the Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education and Chairman of the Occasion, Prof. Nyerhovwo Tonukari, said the DELSU AI Policy initiative is in line with Delta State Government’s desire to integrate ICTs into its service delivery mechanisms. The Honourable Commissioner, represented by his Special Assistant, Dr. Omoefe Okpimah, pointed out that as AI is ever evolving, the DELSU AI Policy will help the university maximise the potentials of AI in its duties of teaching, research and community service.
In his keynote address on the theme of the workshop, the former Executive Secretary of NUC and Facilitator-General of NUC/Virtual Institute for Capacity Building for Higher Education (NUC/VICBHE) – Prof. Peter Okebukola, commended Delta State University’s pioneering efforts AI policy, a feat he attributed to the impressive performance of some staff of the university at the national level at the recently concluded NUC/VICBHE Module 8 course on AI.
Prof. Okebukola emphasized the relevance of AI in the present age and called on the university to build AI capacity by educating staff and students on proper use of AI, provide mechanisms to check AI abuse and provide the necessary infrastructure for AI use in the university.
The workshop attracted participants from within and outside the country including, the President of National Association of AI Practitioners and former Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife – Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, who reviewed DELSU Draft AI Policy, Prof Sami Souissi from Universite de Lille, France, and Engr. Nikita Vasilev from London.
Cross section of DELSU staff participating in DELSU AI Policy workshop in Abraka on Thursday
The workshop was also attended by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) – Prof. Ochuko Anomohanran, Provost, College of Medicine – Professor Emmanuel Odokuma, the University Orator and Chairman of Ceremonials – Prof. (Mrs) Eseoghene Enajite Ojaruega , deans of faculties, directors of academic and non-academic unis, lecturers and non-teaching staff from DELSU and other universities.
The climax of the event was a communiqué issued which borders on, among other things, a call for more emphasis on how AI can be harnessed for administrative duties by non-teaching staff of universities.