Zaria: Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Huawei Technologies Nigeria Ltd. to overhaul its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure and implement the Huawei Smart Campus Project.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the MoU was signed in Zaria by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, on behalf of the university while Mr. Mars Zhangmi, Director, Enterprise Delivery Service, signed for Huawei. At the signing ceremony, Prof. Ahmed emphasized the necessity of upgrading ABU’s network infrastructure, stating that much of the existing equipment had reached the end of its operational life.
“In technical terms, most of the equipment has reached end-of-life and must be decommissioned and replaced with modern systems. Otherwise, our entire IT services would be grounded,” Ahmed explained. He expressed that the university had been aiming to revamp its ICT infrastructure for a long time, and the partnership with Huawei presented a significant opportunity to engage one of the leading ICT companies in the industry.
The vice-chancellor highlighted that the upgrade would facilitate blended learning, allowing students to interact with lecturers remotely. This enhancement would ensure that students and graduates worldwide have seamless access to the university. Additionally, Ahmed mentioned plans to onboard international tutors from the United States, the United Kingdom, and other regions to provide barrier-free teaching.
Ahmed further noted that the initiative would improve administrative efficiency and support ABU’s transition towards a paperless system. He also mentioned that the university’s Distance Learning Centre would be expanded to accommodate more candidates who could not secure admission through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). With over three million candidates applying annually through JAMB and only about 30 percent gaining admission, the enhanced ICT capacity would allow ABU’s Distance Learning Centre to admit more students.
The vice-chancellor disclosed that the project’s first phase, involving the replacement of basic infrastructure, would start immediately, with subsequent phases to follow. “By the middle of the year, we hope to achieve about 90 percent completion of the project,” he stated.
Earlier, Mr. Zhangmi remarked that the partnership aligns with the shared commitment of ABU and Huawei to develop talent and provide cutting-edge digital infrastructure for research and development. During a presentation, Ms. Esther Anigbo, a Senior Account Manager with Huawei, said the company would deploy the Huawei Smart Campus Solution to support efficient campus management. The solution includes the iMaster NCE, a unified platform enabling ABU to manage and control devices across all campuses through a single console. Anigbo added that the Smart Campus Solution would enhance disaster recovery capabilities and improve the campus network design.
According to her, ABU would also serve as a Huawei ICT support centre, and she expressed pride in undertaking this partnership with the university.