1. Techno-grafting ( Technology is in the maker) Aminu Ibrahim (aminu@forum.org.ng)aminu@forum.org.ng Convenor, The Nigeria ICT Forum (http://forum.org.ng)http://forum.org.ng

2. 20090321Technografting: IEEE Meeting, Abuja 2 Summary of What We Should Know Already There are new issues & they are rapidly evolving & getting confounded, but the roots of the problems here (including the divide) are NOT new. The same problems will NOT likely to be solved: –If we assume they do not exist –If we change their name –If we try a wrong solution for a long time –the n th time we try the same wrong methods Development is a process, not a finished product Grafting is as simple as rocket science; i.e. it all depends on ones need to survive ignition, have predictable behaviour, etc.

3. 20090321Technografting: IEEE Meeting, Abuja 3 Before the Internet Source: DPR, 1991 9(1):99-106 92.5%

4. 20090321Technografting: IEEE Meeting, Abuja 4 Consider So, throughout the 1960s-1980s, 93% of postal requests made for Nigerian article off-prints were external to Africa. About when others had an Information Explosion, we had a Famine: the book famine. Example: In 1985, –US Library of Congress had holding of 75 million items compared to the 7 million volumes in all Nigerian libraries –There were 1,900 specialized libraries in the USA when Nigeria had only about 362 libraries of all types –Thats why everything BUT information, was to be available for all by Y2000 The precursor to the Internet was being handed over to existing universities; we are still establishing ICT-D.O.A Campuses

5. 20090321Technografting: IEEE Meeting, Abuja 5 Thought Experiments What will happen, if we limit all: –Farming activities to relevant degree holders? –Building activities to relevant degree holders? What are the socio-cultural assumptions (etc), behind (say), street-lighting, or crash-helmets, etc? Why are we buying cooling systems from those who need heating, and solar systems from those with no sun? What should be the best predictor of the future state of a Nation, say 15 years hence? What does this mean for us?

6. 20090321Technografting: IEEE Meeting, Abuja 6 Looking forward to going backwards? But what will happen, assuming we restore everything about education (say), back to the same state as in the 1960s-1970s?

7. 20090321Technografting: IEEE Meeting, Abuja 7 Peculiar issues Widening ICT divide between the private sector and education and public sector Connect (adequately, for academic development) or Perish Student-Drain, is following the teachers Brain- Drain The pace of change continues to increase: –The systems internal ability to revise the curriculum and correct itself has been severely eroded –time, opportunity & capacity to anticipate have become vastly more important as a stop-gap measure

8. 20090321Technografting: IEEE Meeting, Abuja 8 What and how to Faithful Strategic Planning! Coach those who make decisions, and those who can unmake decisions Prioritize investment in people and for people (i.e. Capacity Building/ HRD) Professional development should also be: –A centerpiece of a universitys ICT strategic plan –Grounded in a competency-based framework, learner-focused, flexible and evidence-based –Academic staff should drive the design, planning implementation and evaluation of professional development. Anything that restores confidence & esteem of academies & scholarship is very, very good.

9. 20090321Technografting: IEEE Meeting, Abuja 9 The Good News: ITs in our character! Most Internet & network services are electronic renditions of universities normal activities & desires. –Collaboration, on-line discussion groups, teleconferencing, are renditions of Committees, Seminars and Conferences. –Intranets are Academic & Research networks, societies & associations. –Academies can do Bulletins, Journals, and Content! –Academic freedom and autonomy gave roots to the freedom & democratic traditions now associated with the Internet. Academies are paid to update, pass on skills, anticipate changes, upgrade the wider community, etc. ICT is facilitative: the academic world has never had more opportunities to collaborate and share than at the present time.

10. 20090321Technografting: IEEE Meeting, Abuja 10 Curriculum Issues and Resources at hand Organized Proprietary/ Commercial Content Providers: –CISCO Academies –Microsoft Academies –Linux Academies In-a-Box OpenCourseWare resources, e.g. MITs OCW (http://ocw.mit.edu/) with links to many othershttp://ocw.mit.edu/ Open e-Learning resources & platforms, e.g. KEWL Truly collaborative open tools & resources, e.g. University of Georgias Global Text Project (http://globaltext.org)http://globaltext.org Annual Advanced hands-on training & for-life-help-lines for Academic Network Operators and others: –The African Network Operators Group (http://afnog.org): Abuja, 22 April – 4 May 2007http://afnog.org The ng ICT Forums Nigerian Network Operators Group (http://forum.org.ng) Preparatory-ngNOG and ngNOG workshops and special interest groups (http://abuja.forum.org.ng/mailman/listinfo/)http://forum.org.nghttp://abuja.forum.org.ng/mailman/listinfo/

11. 20090321Technografting: IEEE Meeting, Abuja 11 Fundamental Issues Remain Curricular deficiencies and other fundamental issues severely reduce uptake of our staff & students at most excellent hands-on workshops & training programs The HE systems internal capacity to revise curricular and implement any appropriate revisions have unfortunately been severely compromised Our entire concepts of staff development and of development itself, need to be totally over- hauled for these problems to be solved

12. 20090321Technografting: IEEE Meeting, Abuja 12 PHE (MacArthur & Carnegie) Interventions in ng The Partnership Foundations, esp. MacArthur and Carnegie, are quite involved in both restoration and advancement of HE in ng –Six institutions are supported directly, and MacArthur directly supports dozens of other projects and interventions –Support to widen impact of, and institutionalize their interventions e.g. thro NUC, CVC – Systemic & Indirect supports include the ng ICT Forum, Library Development, the Bandwidth consortium, facilitation of donations (through e.g. NSRC), and training to improve the ability & capacity to look for additional help. –Support for MIT OCW and Data Standards are being considered by MacArthur World Banks STEP-B and NESAP-ICT assistance ISOC-NGs ICT Centers They have, and continue to send clear signals that something positive can happen, and is happening. But it is all up to us.