Last Updated on August 5, 2025 by Olasunkanmi Olajide
The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, has made a clarion call for the strategic adoption of digital innovation as the cornerstone of Nigeria’s sustainable growth, development, and global relevance.
Prof. Kehinde made this known in Lagos while delivering a Goodwill Message as Chairman of the Occasion at the opening of the 5th National Conference on Applied Information Management Technology (AIMT 2025), held at the Centre for Management Development, Shangisha, on July 17, 2025.
Themed “Harnessing Digital Innovations for Sustainable Growth: Renewed Hope for Nigeria’s Economy,” the conference brought together distinguished scholars, policymakers, and ICT professionals to explore cutting-edge solutions to Nigeria’s developmental challenges.
Represented by the Director, Directorate of Academic Information Systems (DACIS), Prof. Olusegun Folorunso, the Vice-Chancellor described digital technology not merely as a tool but as the driving force behind societal transformation in the 21st century. He noted that “Information is now the most valuable currency in the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” urging stakeholders to move from rhetoric to concrete actions in building a tech-driven Nigerian economy.
The Vice-Chancellor spotlighted FUNAAB’s proactive steps in this direction, including the establishment of a new College of Computing (COLCOM) and the commencement of six new digital-focused academic programmes that are Cybersecurity, Data Science, Information Systems, Information Technology, ICT, and Software Engineering. These programmes, he affirmed, have all received full approval and are strategically designed to equip graduates with globally relevant digital competencies.
Highlighting the University’s growing national and international recognition, Prof. Kehinde disclosed that FUNAAB has been selected to participate in the prestigious Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme, a Federal Government initiative to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital capacity-building in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
He further announced plans by the University to establish Digital Innovation Hubs that would nurture digital talent, enhance industry-academia collaboration, and support enterprise development.
Prof. Kehinde, a Fellow of the Association of Applied Information Management Professionals (FAIMP), also emphasised the role of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain, drone technology, and the Internet of Things (IoT) in revolutionising sectors like agriculture, finance, security, and governance.
The three-day conference featured several thought-provoking plenary sessions, including: Digital Economy and Financial Inclusion by Prof. Oladele Balogun; Food Security Through Smart Agriculture by Dr. Angel Adelaja-Kuye, Special Adviser on Agriculture and Food Security to the Ogun State Governor; Cultural Identity Mapping Using AI by Prof. Olusegun Folorunso of FUNAAB; Cybersecurity in Nigeria by Engr. Williams Odueke and Infrastructure for a Digital Future by Prof. Samuel Daramola.
The keynote presentation was delivered by Dr. Bayo Olugbemi, MD/CEO of Registrars and Investors Services Ltd, who echoed the urgent need for sustainable digital transformation across sectors.
Story prepared by Olasunkanmi Olajide & Femi Dansu
