Lecturers of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK) have neither official laptops nor desktops to aid their work of teaching and research, our correspondent can authoritatively confirm.
Findings by LEADERSHIP revealed that the lecturers also have no access to functional internet service as the school has no provision for wireless internet connectivity whether on campus or in selected places for the lecturers to use.
Barely four years ago, specifically in 2021, NSUK’s vice chancellor, Professor Suleiman Mohammed, assured that the university management would deploy Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to drive teaching and learning in the citadel of learning.
“We are working to ensure that ICT drives teaching and learning in this university. The way to go in the 21st century is through ICT,” Mohammed said.
However, up till the end of his tenure a few weeks ago, the university was unable to provide laptops for lecturers to enhance teaching through the use of ICT.
LEADERSHIP observed that in the 21st century, having either laptops or desktops, if not even both, and access to the internet, are part of the workplace’s basic minimum requirements.
As academics who are required to constantly engage in research, having official laptops and other associated tools to access the internet helps significantly in aiding teaching.
Our correspondent reports that even the lecturers in the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies where future journalists are being trained have no access to official laptops.
A senior lecturer who spoke to our correspondent lamented that the lack of such basic tools has negatively impacted the productivity of his colleagues.
Reacting, the public relations officer (PRO) of the university, Dr Abraham Habu Ekpo, said every head of department has an official laptop or desktop, adding that the university couldn’t buy a computer for everyone.
“By the time you grow up, you are supposed to have something personal. So, as lecturers, they are supposed to have personal laptops.
“It is not every staff that is entitled to an official computer. All the people that are entitled to it have it. All the heads of department have computers. The school can’t buy computers for everyone,” Ekpo said.
According to him, “the school management has been doing its best to ensure compliance with ICT equipment and everyone that needs a computer to enhance their official duties have it.”
