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.

Media reports that the MoU was signed on Wednesday in Zaria by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, on behalf of the university while Mr Mars Zhangmi, Director, Enterprise Delivery Service, signed for his firm.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ahmed said the partnership was aimed at upgrading ABU’s network infrastructure, noting that most 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.

“We have been working towards revamping our ICT infrastructure for a long time, and when this opportunity came, we took the hard decision to engage one of the best ICT companies in the industry — Huawei Technologies,” he said.

The vice-chancellor said the upgrade would enhance blended learning, enabling students to interact with lecturers remotely from the comfort of their homes.

“Our students and graduates across the world will be able to access us seamlessly.

“We will also onboard international tutors from the United States, the United Kingdom and other parts of the globe to teach without barriers,” he said.

Ahmed added that the initiative would strengthen administrative efficiency and support the university’s drive towards a paperless system.

He explained that ABU’s Distance Learning Centre, one of the largest in the country, would be expanded to absorb more candidates who were unable to secure admission through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

“Over three million candidates apply for admission through JAMB annually, but only about 30 per cent gain admission.

“With the enhanced ICT capacity, ABU’s Distance Learning Centre will be better positioned to admit more students,” he said.

The vice-chancellor disclosed that the first phase of the project, which involves the replacement of basic infrastructure, would commence immediately, while the second and third phases would follow.

“By the middle of the year, we hope to achieve about 90 per cent completion of the project,” he said.

Earlier, Zhangmi said the partnership aligned with the shared commitment of ABU and Huawei to not only develop talent but also provide cutting-edge digital infrastructure to strengthen research and development.

In a presentation, a Senior Account Manager with Huawei, Ms Esther Anigbo, said the company would deploy the Huawei Smart Campus Solution to support efficient campus management.

Anigbo said the solution includes the iMaster NCE, a unified platform that would enable ABU to manage and control devices across all campuses through a single console.

She added that the Smart Campus Solution would enhance disaster recovery capabilities and provide an improved campus network design for the university.

According to her, ABU would also serve as a Huawei ICT support centre, describing the partnership as one the company was proud to undertake.