By Felix Khanoba
Some students of University of Abuja (UniAbuja) are currently undergoing practical learning of solar technology in an energy firm under the institution’s voluntary internship programme.
Director, UniAbuja’s Internship and Linkages Services Unit (ILS, Unit), Prof. Abdulfatai Jimoh, made this known on Wednesday during a one-day Awareness and Sensitization Programme on Internship organised in collaboration with Asolar Solar Systems.
While revealing that four students are currently undergoing hands-on learning of solar technology at Asolar Solar Home Systems, Jimoh, who is a Professor of Chemical Engineering, said over 500 others have also indicated interest in the UniAbuja’s intenship programme.
“We have over 500 students who have indicated interest to participate in this internship programme.
“Today’s programme is to create awareness, to sensitize our students and the university community on the mandates of ILS Unit, which include internship programme opportunity for students, collaboration for academic programmes, and to cap it all, bringing to our environment, solar system expert, ASOLAR, who is ever ready to share details on their Solar Home Systems and products with us,” he said.
Speaking further, Prof. Jimoh said the internship programme is different from the compulsory (Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), and commended UniAbuja’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, for his forsightness in initiating the programme.
According to him, the internship scheme is to ensure the University’s students are equipped with relevant skills and experience to make them easily employable or successful job creators on graduation.
“We want to catch them young fron 100 level, we want to begin to expose them to what is happening in the industries as they learn in classroom and this is different from the government’s approved SIWES,” Jimoh said .
The director said apart from Asolar Solar Home Systems, the ILSU has also entered into collaboration with several others on internship programme
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” The programme is aimed at providing the students of the university with practical experience to help them validates the knowledge gained in the classroom and broadly enhances their capacity to utilize their skills and talents,” he said.
Also speaking, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Na’Allah, said the University would continue to provide massive opportunities for students through signing its academia-industry collaboration to position them as global competitors.
Represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, Professor Clement Alawa, the VC said, “We are doing things that are not done in any university in Nigeria. We are preparing our students to be global competitors when they live the institution.”
Prof Na’Allah, who expressed delight over ILS Unit collaboration with Asolar Solar Systems, said UniAbuja has rolled out various innovative programmes ranging from centre of undergraduate research, students mentoring scheme, among others.
” We are doing what others are not doing; the intenship, centre of undergraduate research, mentoring, students work programme……
” We also introduced foreign language. We want to make sure our students can speak at least one foreign language, ” he said.
The event, which also attracted popular Nollywood actor, Emeka Ike, who harped on the importance of internship programme, also witnessed paper presentations by the Director of UniAbuja Centre for Undergraduate Research, Prof. Taibat Adebukola Atoyebi, and Mr Peter Okoh of Asolar Solar Home Systems as well as questions and answers session.
