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ALO: Association Liaison
Office
for University Cooperation in
Development
Building Digital Technical Capacity at Nigerian
Universities:
Laying the Foundation for Greater Digital Participation
and Collaboration
Institutional Partnerships Program
PROGRESS REPORT
| Lead U. S.
Institution: |
The University of Iowa |
| Host Country: |
Nigeria |
| Host Country
Partner Institution: |
Nigerian National Universities Commission (NUC) |
| U.S. Partnership
Directors: |
Cliff Missen, MA
Mike McNulty, PhD |
| Host Country
Partnership Directors: |
Dr. Mamman Aminu Ibrahim |
| Host
Country/Region USAID Mission Contact: |
|
| Project Web
Site: |
www.widernet.org |
| Period Covered by
this Report: |
4/01/03 - 9/30/03 |
| Project Start
Date: |
September 1, 2000 |
Section I: Quantitative Reporting
on USAID Indicators
| |
During
This Reporting Period: |
Since
Beginning of ALO Funding |
|
1. |
How many host country institutions have been
involved in partnership activities? |
Number of institutions:
4 |
Number of institutions:
23 |
|
List these institutions
(include NGOs, community-based organizations, government agencies,
businesses, other higher education institutions, etc.) and briefly
describe their involvement:
Participants at Technician Training sessions have
been employed at Abubukar Tatawa Balewa University, Ahmadu Bello
University, Bayero University, Federal University of Technology, the
National Institute for Nigerian Languages, the National Universities
Commission, NINLAN, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, University of Abuja,
University of Ibadan, University of Maiduguri, University of Nigeria,
Nsukka, Usman Danfodio University, University of Benin, Obafemi Awolowo
University, and the University of Ghana.
The Nigerian National Conference on ICT in Higher Education was attended
by representatives from Resourcery, Ltd., the National Assembly, Afrione
Limited, the National Democratic Institute, JUTH, Radcom, Sokoto; the
University of Nigeria, Nsukku; University of Jos, University of
Ibadan, and Ahmadu Bello University. |
|
2. |
How many U.S.
institutions have been
involved in partnership activities? |
Number of institutions:
2 |
Number of institutions:
6 |
|
List these institutions
(include NGOs, community based organizations, government agencies,
businesses, other higher education institutions, etc.) and briefly
describe their involvement:
Microsoft has continued
to donate software for project partners and 3-Com Corporation has donated wireless
equipment for training purposes. Learnkey, Inc., the Network Startup Resource
Center, and EZ-Ref have provided training materials and support.
|
|
3. |
Approximately how
many host country nationals have been trained (formally/informally,
short-term/long-term) through partnership activities (e.g., degree
programs, certificate programs, seminars, workshops, extension days,
etc.)? |
Females: 3 |
Females:
68 |
|
Males:
26 |
Males:
277 |
|
Total:
29 |
Total:
345 |
|
Briefly describe the
nature and duration of the training:
The three-day workshop focused on the creation of campus
networks. Participants heard lectures on computer and network topics,
watched demonstrations on computer assembly and basic networking,
and then got hands-on experience building computers, preparing network
wires, and building local area networks. Each person received
a WiderNet Project CD containing thousands of documents and
tutorials on building and maintaining campus ICT and computer-based
training software from LearnKey, Inc.
|
|
4. |
How many workforce development
activities has your partnership initiated? |
None |
None |
| Briefly describe
these workforce development activities: |
|
5. |
Has your
partnership leveraged any new resources (cash or in-kind) for its
activities? |
$11,885 |
$801,885 |
|
List and
briefly describe the new resources:
Value includes wireless networking equipment donated by
3 Com Corporation that will be used for Technician Training at Nigerian universities.
|
|
|
Section II: Qualitative Reporting
1. In one or two sentences, what is the
overall goal of this partnership project?
The partnership between the University of
Iowa and the Nigerian National Universities Commission (NUC) seeks to
develop the capacity of technicians and computer support personnel to
develop, maintain, and promote the use of computers and networks at
Nigerian universities. It also seeks, in partnership with Kirkwood
Community College, to create links between the University of Iowa and
multiple Nigerian universities via the Nigerian National Universities
Commission (NUC).
2.
What activities has the partnership undertaken during this
reporting period?
During the last reporting period, the WiderNet Project held a two-day
technician training workshop at Bayero University followed by two days
of database training. Director Cliff Missen and Project Assistant Mike Schmitz also consulted with computer technicians at the
University of Ibadan and the University of Jos.
3. How have these
activities contributed to (or do you anticipate will contribute to) development in the host country?
The technical training contributes to
sustainable development in several important ways from an institutional
perspective. Upgrading the skills of the Nigerian technician will have
the effect of ensuring that scarce institutional resources are used more
effectively, expensive equipment and IT systems will be maintained and
upgraded, and improved ICT systems and applications may offer revenue
generation possibilities through user fees and/or service charges and
consultancies to help sustain the development of the ICT infrastructure
and services.
Providing advanced training for technical staff will also provide an
incentive for staff to remain with the institution and reduce turnover
in personnel.
4. How have these activities benefited (or will
they ultimately benefit) the U.S. institution(s) and /or local
community?
Increased digital communication with
African colleagues will benefit University of Iowa educational programs
and exchanges through long-term university linkages. These
linkages will open doors to mutually beneficial research projects and
enhance international awareness. Already we have several Nigerian
graduate students who have come to study at the University of Iowa, as
well, dozens of University of Iowa faculty and staff have created new
on-line relationships with their counterparts in Nigeria. The
Department of Math, for example, has agreed to a linkage program with
the University of Jos to help revitalize mathematics education at Jos.
5. What has been the most significant
accomplishment this reporting period, intended or unintended?
One Technician Training participant achieved the
higher level Network+ certification in May 2003.
6. What challenges has your partnership
encountered in carrying out its planned activities during this reporting
period?
In December 2002, Nigerian university lecturers went
on a strike that effectively shut down all public universities for six
months. The strike further delayed our project since most of our
linkages are with Nigerian universities. Progress in ICT was interrupted
for our partners and the number of technicians who could become industry
standard certified was significantly decreased due to having limited or
no access to computers and equipment at the universities.
A training session in database development for campus ICT staff was held
for the University of Jos; however, the training was confined to Cliff
Missen’s hotel room during a period when faculty and staff were not
allowed on campus. The limited space diminished hands-on training
opportunities necessary for learning. Another workshop would provide
what was missed at the last gathering.
7. List and briefly describe your partnership’s
planned activities for the next six months, with attention to achieving
the stated goals and objectives:
We will hold the Third Annual National Conference on
ICT in Higher Education in November 2003 at the University of Jos.
Trainees will continue to be certified in A+ and Network+ technologies
and we will continue to provide one-on-one consulting for numerous
campuses. We will conduct a follow-up training session in database
development for campus ICT staff in November 2003.
|
8. Has your partnership
consulted/collaborated with Ministry of Education or other
government officials?
If YES, briefly describe:
We have provided consulting and training for the
National Universities Commission.
|
YES |
|
9. Has your partnership
participated in any government-sponsored panels or any other
initiatives to inform policy?
If YES, briefly describe:
Director Cliff Missen was a founding stakeholder for
the The Nigerian-American Information Initiative.
|
YES |
|
10. Has your partnership
helped to increase institutional accountability?
If YES, briefly describe:
A project goal is that through the use
of university-wide database systems, financial practices will become
more transparent, therefore increasing accountability within the
institution.
|
YES |
|
11. Has your partnership
influenced institutional policy to help increase the enrollment or
participation of underserved students? |
NO |
| 12. Has your partnership
established new degree programs?
|
NO |
| 13. Has your partnership
adapted curricula to make them relevant to local development needs?
This year, for the first time, the University of Jos
faculty senate has approved the course "Internetworks in
International Development" as a standard credit course for
undergraduate and graduate students.
|
YES |
| 14. Has your partnership
provided training (e.g., workshops, seminars, short-courses, etc.)
to non-higher education institutions (e.g., NGOs, government
agencies, businesses, etc.)?
If YES, briefly describe:
Staff members from Cardz Limited; Fenix
Nigeria, Ltd; and VIC Business and Computer Services attended the
last WiderNet Project Technician Training. Director Missen has
been invited to give a presentation on enterprise computer
networking to U.S. State Department representatives in Abuja,
Nigeria.
|
YES |
| 15. Has your partnership
donated any computers, books, library supplies, etc. to improve
local resources? If
YES, briefly describe: Two of our partner
universities have received over 300 used computers and 5,000 books
donated by individuals and companies around the Iowa City area.
As well, they have received new network cards and wireless equipment
from 3Com Corporation and used networking equipment from the Network
Startup Resource Center. Many of these donations were
collected and prepared by volunteers, while the recipient
universities paid the shipping costs.
|
YES |
| 16. Has your partnership been
involved in other outreach activities?
If YES, briefly describe:
Through outside funding and the work of many
volunteers, the WiderNet Project has been able to create the
eGranary digital library which provides Internet
resources to people who live in areas lacking adequate on-line
access. Through a process of mirroring (copying) Websites,
saving the information on hard drives, and delivering them to
intranet systems at institutions, hundreds of thousands of document
can be quickly accessed over their local area networks.
Nearly one million documents have been collected as of today.
The eGranary digital library has been
distributed to four universities in Nigeria, one university in Ghana
and one in the Gambia.
See
http://www.widernet.org/digitalLibrary/index.htm for more
information on the eGranary digital library
|
YES |
| 17. Has your partnership
disseminated information about the project (e.g., print and on-line
campus/local/national/international media, radio, television,
conference/seminar presentations, published papers, etc.)?
If YES, briefly describe:
The WiderNet Project Web site contains all of the
documents and reports generated from our activities, including
hundreds of photographs. We also "mirror" the Web sites of two
partner universities. Articles about the WiderNet Project --
especially our computer donation project -- have appeared in the
Cedar Rapids Gazette, The Des Moines Register, and the Iowa City
Press Citizen. Co-Directors Michael McNulty and Cliff Missen
have discussed African university developments on WSUI radio's
one-hour call-in talk show.
Michael McNulty gave the presentation "Digitizing the African University: A
Search for Appropriate Strategies," on Monday, Nov. 11 as part of the
University of Iowa International Programs' International Mondays
lecture series that is open to the public
|
YES |
Last updated 11/2/03 by Kim Francis |