By Felix Khanoba
The management of University of Ilorin (Unilorin) says arrangements for
Virtual lectures has reached 70 per cent, saying it is working toward ensuring that lecturers and students
have minimal physical contact to halt the spread of COVID-19.
The institution’s Director of Academic Planning, Prof. Isaac Adimula, told newsmen in Ilorin on Monday
that the arrangement was in preparation for resumption of academic activities when the threat of the ravaging Coronavirus pandemic subsides.
According to him, the plan is to ensure that teaching and laboratory practicals are done virtually.
Adimula said that with the quality and magnitude of the state-of-the-art- facilities being put in place, 70 per cent of lectures
could be done virtually, while only 30 per cent would be conducted physically.
He observed that in such a situation that only a minimal number of students would participate in lectures that would be briefly
conducted with full adherence to the protocols governing physical interactions in a time like this.
The director disclosed that the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Sulyman Abdulkareem, had facilitated the release of N168
million for the provision of campus-wide internet.
He added that this would ensure that 75 per cent of the campus accessed the internet “to allow students and lecturers
to link up to virtual lectures and practical classes anywhere they are on the campus.”
Adimula commended the vice-chancellor for approving the training of three members of staff in Italy toward the smooth operations
of the virtual learning enhancing equipment and systems being erected on the campus.
He explained the practicability of the reduction of physical contacts in the course of transmission of knowledge on campus, particularly among indigent students who do not have smart phones and related hardwares.
He disclosed that arrangement had also been concluded to install Smart-Boards of about 70 Centimetre in each of the lecture theatres to take care of such categories of students, who, he said, were not even many, to receive lectures when due.
The director also said that the attendance of participants would still be taken to ensure that the maximum percentage of lectures by students was sustained and all the lectures delivered shall thereafter be deposited in the university’s repository to ensure that students who either needed one clarification or the other or those who missed such lectures have something to fall back to.
He expressed readiness of the university management to welcome its students back on campus for the resumption of academic activities and other related services as soon as the concerned authorities give the directive.
Adimula explained that the management was working to ensure that the university opened its gates to students as soon as the Federal Government issues the directive,
saying that the campuses would continue to be disinfected to ensure that the dreaded Coronavirus disease did not get there.
He added that the institution had been sharing messages to educate students on what they needed to do to keep themselves safe and protected against the spread of the disease.
