ASSECO, a multinational information technology company, has launched an on-campus Tech Club for students and community members in collaboration with the American University of Nigeria (AUN). Students from the AUN School of Information Technology and Computing (SITC) as well as students from other faculties who are interested in technology will be able to join the club. The club will promote practical and hands-on skill development in computer programming and coding.
Mr. Michael Njoku, an AUN alum and Chief Technical Officer for ASSECO Nigeria, explained during the club's launch on September 21, 2022, that locating the Tech Club at AUN is his way of giving back to his alma mater, which provided him with the opportunity and platform to explore his passion.
"The majority of the fundamental practices and skills I use in everyday business and technology applications are what I learned through the AUN student work study program while studying here."
He went on to say that the idea behind establishing a technology club at AUN is to provide students with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn skills that will give them a competitive advantage in a highly competitive economy. "Before they leave the university, students will have gained the necessary work skills and experience. They can also work for themselves or join a company as tech developers."
Professor Mathias Fonkam, Dean of SITC, who was present at the club launch, stated that student participation in the club is important as a good avenue for them to hone their tech skills. He also emphasized the importance of personal development and research, urging students to be focused and goal-oriented.
Professor Abubakar Sadiq Husseini, interim Dean of the School of Engineering, Mrs. Grace Nwokoma, Director AUN Career Service, students, other AUN alumni, and staff members were also present at the club's launch. ASSECO, a global software company, arrived in Nigeria in July 2014 and provides IT solution services to several Nigerian financial institutions, including Sterling Bank, Guarantee Trust Bank, and Keystone Bank. ASSECO is also involved in other industries such as power, telecommunications, healthcare, social security, and defense.
Mr. Njoku also participated in an interactive session during which he answered questions from students eager to learn practical IT skills.
Mr. Najib Yusuf, another AUN Alum who attended the event, advised students to put in a lot of effort into personal development, citing his AUN experiences as an example. “While I was still on campus, I tried to learn a lot of coding and programming language privately during the holidays and whenever I learnt something new in class I tried as much as possible to put it into practice."
Reported by Tina Bitrus