The University of Jos continues as the only Nigerian university with a world class network on its campus.  And UNIJOS continues to expand their local area network: they now have over 150 Pentium-class computers hooked up to their LAN with fiber optics connecting eight buildings and category5 copper wiring inside the buildings.  

While there, they showed me where a handful of student interns had wired up twenty-four new Ethernet ports in the bursar's office in just a matter of a weekend.  

They now claim more than twelve hundred e-mail accounts and are processing thousands of e-mail messages a week.  UNIJOS maintains an Intranet Web server with 4GB of Web sites from around the world and the "Webmasters Club" continues to attract dozens of members to its monthly meetings.

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Nenfort Gomwalk, was not there during my visit but has passed along his reiteration of his enthusiasm for putting up a satellite link at UNIJOS. 

Over a year ago, Prof. Gomwalk set aside funds for a stand-alone satellite link using the same technologies planned for the NUC project.  Caught in a use-it-or-lose-it situation, he spent some of the money last year buying more computers, but still remains committed to a satellite connection.  Last May, the University of Jos submitted an application to the NCC for a 128K satellite connection to Lyman Bros. in Utah.  Due to the change in military political situation in Nigeria, further consideration of a license has been put on hold until a presidential commission has had a chance to advise the new president on licensing practices and policies. 

UNIJOS has a well-established computer committee headed by Professor Lennox Liverpool.  They have a well-conceived plan for further expansion of the network to the University's satellite campuses (especially the teaching hospital.) 

The University has a vibrant internship program with dozens of students involved, and has recently implemented a longer-term apprenticeship program. 

The University is midway through a computer center expansion project which will essentially double the size of their current computer center. 

The UNIJOS Computer Centre Doubling in Size

Interestingly enough, where the University of Jos has spent a good deal of time and money developing their computer capacity and has set the pace for other Nigerian universities, the Vice Chancellor is currently under fire for prioritizing computers.  Vice Chancellors usually operate with complete almost autocratic control of the university, although they face re-election every four or five years.  This year however poses a whole set of  concerns.  Nigeria's newly elected democratic government is in the process of trying to weed out corrupt officials in the government and in the academic institutions. 

This an intriguing and confusing process in a country where those academics with contacts and wherewithal left the country a long time ago, and virtually everybody who remains had to come up with creative ways to keep body and soul together during the lean years of the military government.  Needless to say, it may be difficult to find someone who hasn't been tainted by all this. 

Currently there are review panels, high level commissions put together by the executive branch, which are touring from university to university and holding reviews of the university operations and university officers.  Like every VC in the Nigerian university system, Prof. Gomwalk is also under review.  A lot of accusations have been leveled, and a lot of rumors have been floated, but every university is waiting on pins and needles for the release of the final reports.  Those who follow the public hearings at UNIJOS report that a number of deans and professors complained bitterly about the amount of money that was being spent on computers and networking when the university's roads, water, and electricity were barely functional.  On the other hand, some members of the review panel were reported to be impressed with the kind of progress that UNIJOS has made.  So we'll just have to wait and see if these efforts have any bearing on the fate of Prof. Gomwalk.