On November 15, students and faculty members in the School of Engineering went on an industrial tour of two high-technology companies in Jimeta.
Labondo Discovery Hub and AJISAQ Limited are both innovation startup companies that specialize in emerging technologies and are involved in training tech-enthusiasts.
Training Officer at Labondo Hub, Duna Jilang, shared his company profile with some 25 visitors from AUN, explaining what they do and can do.
The company was set up to create an enabling environment where ideas can be conceived, created, and nurtured.
Among their areas of specialization are Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Machine Learning, Crypto-currency, and Robotics.
At AJISAQ Limited, Managing Director, Ahmed Tijjani, explained that central to their mission is to solve community problems with emerging technologies.
Products developed by AJISAQ include a point-of-sale (POS) ticketing system for Jimeta Modern Market, magic switch, smart generator switch for turning a generator on/off without physically leaving the comfort of one's room, Vuvuti (an unmanned vehicle for surveillance in dangerous places), intelligent cable theft detector, and an embedded billing system for rural solar lamps.
Both companies said they are ready to organize workshops for AUN students, as the visitation has heightened the possibility of future collaboration.
Interim Dean of the SoE, Dr. Abel Ajibesin, said both companies are already tapping into the emerging technology benefits, areas that the SoE will is be hoping to go into.
"They are solving community problems. I'm happy the products are already in the market. That is the way we want to build our School of Engineering for our students to be able to look at the community and address its problems. It will be a great opportunity to partner with the companies so that the students can have an insight into a real-life demonstration of what they are being taught".
Conventional university education is so “academic-centric” you have to have something extra to stand out from the crowd with exceptional skills. "These firms are already specializing in some of the areas and we are ready to partner with them."
Students were happy to learn that the company accepts students for internships. Dr. Ajibesin remarked; the collaboration with AJISAQ is growing stronger as the company has taken on three graduates from AUN "not only as interns but they are working remotely as staff members."
Reported by Omorogbe Omorogiuwa