The Head of Department of ICT, Mr. Rockson Kwasi Afriyie, on Friday, 27th January, 2023 paid a working visit to two tech facilities in the Wa Municipality of the Upper West Region. The visit forms part of the Department’s deliberate efforts to bridge the gap between the Department (academia) and industry and also to discuss prospective partnerships.
The first point of call was the Noni Hub Technology located at Konta, a suburb of the Wa Municipality. The HoD used the occasion to congratulate the tech hub for emerging the winner of MTN Ayoba Momo Accelerator Competition in 2022. They discussed the possibility to have partnership and collaboration with the Noni Hub.
The CEO of Noni Hub, Mr. Sumaila Chakurah expressed his gratitude to the Department for equipping the students with practical skills. He hinted a partnership with the Department to commercialize students’ project works.
The Technologist at Noni Hub, Mr. Muda, briefed the HoD on the role past students from the ICT Department, who are currently National Service personnel, played in developing the App that won the MTN Ayoba Momo competition. According to him, the personnel designed critical components of the application. He promised to collaborate with the Department to expose students to the Ayoba platform.
The HoD expressed his willingness to inviting the technology hub to the Department’s Seminars Series and students’ project work defence. He also used the visit to invite the CEO to a Program Advisory Committee (PAC) inauguration scheduled in February, 2023.
The next point of call was Yison Tech Hub, where the HoD had discussions with the CEO, Mr. Issahaque Serikpera Naa, on a pending MoU between the Department and the Tech hub. He further, emphasised the need to strengthen the working relationship between them as well as explore other areas to create more opportunities for the graduates.
In his response, the CEO assured the HoD of their preparedness to review some clauses of the MoU to pave the way for its operationalisation. He urged both parties to get the document signed as soon as possible for their mutual benefits. He also expressed their readiness to accept students from the Department for attachment and experiential learning.
From Yison Tech Hub, the HoD proceeded to the Fidelity Bank where he met the Wa Branch Manager, Mr. Ibrahim Hassan. The HoD used the occasion to solicit the Bank’s assistance for a projector and a laptop to support teaching and learning.
Another concentration of their deliberations was on the Department’s project dubbed “One Student, One Laptop” The HoD explained that most of the students do not have computers for practice after school work. He indicated how the development is affecting the students’ practical skills acquisition; hence, the roll out of the project to support students with laptops. He prayed the Bank for a partnership in executing the project.
The HoD also ceased the opportunity to ask the bank to assist to change the Department’s students ID cards to multipurpose cards (transactions and identification).
He was hopeful that the discussion will yield potential opportunities for long-term partnerships and strengthen the existing partnership with the bank.
The Manager in his response, expressed his appreciation for the visit assuring to extend the requests to the appropriate quarters for consideration.
Mr Rockson Afriyie, the HoD of ICT Department since assumption of office, has made it a top priority to visit identifiable players in the Information Technology industry for engagements, partnerships and collaborations for mutual benefits. Members of the Department that accompanied the HoD were Mr. Stephen Arthur and Mr. Dakurah Mohammed Alhassan, the head of the Department Media.
