UNILAG NOW OUTREACH CENTRE FOR US-BASED ACADEMY
By Basil Okafor
Monday, April 11, 2005

A United States-based CISCO Academy Training Centre (CATC) has approved the University of Lagos as a new CISCO Networking Academy in Nigeria.

By this development, UNILAG has joined a global network of learners including students, instructors and partners in academia, business, government and community. Through the Academy connections, participants will have access to a platform for the sharing of best practices, solution of problems, partner expertise, discounted resources and workplace learning opportunities.

When the training begins by September/October 2005, according to a release from the office of the Dean, Faculty of Engineering, the local Academy in the university will offer training mainly to students in the Faculty of Engineering, (Systems, Electrical/Electronics and Computer Engineering) as well as interested students from other faculties such as the Faculty of Science and practicing professionals in the Lagos metropolis.

The process to start a CISCO networking academy in UNILAG began with a write-up on the University’s Faculty of Engineering a few months ago. The write-up was received by CISCO and found the status of the faculty satisfactory. Consequently, the university was notified on March 1, 2005, that its application was successful to make it a new CISCO Networking Academy in Nigeria.
The CISCO Networking Academy programme exists in more than 9,800 academies located in high schools, technical schools, colleges, universities and international organisations, around the world.
Participants in the programme will write industry certification examination after going through the various stages of the programme whose instructors include, Professor V.O.S. Olunloyo (Programme Director) and Dr. Ike Mowete (Programme Coordinator).

For details of how the programme will run, members of the university community are advised to contact the following: Dr. Ike Mowete of the Faculty of Engineering; Dr. C. Uwadia, Director of the Computer Centre and Dr. O. Adediji, of the University Library.
The CISCO Networking Academy Programme is a comprehensive e-learning programme that provides students with the Internet technology skills essential in a global economy. The Networking Academy delivers Web-based content, online assessment, student performance tracking, hands-on labs, instructor training and support and preparation for industry standard certification.

Launched in 1997, with 64 educational institutions in seven states
– Arizona, California, Florida, Minnesota, Missouri, New York and North Carolina – the Networking Academy has spread to more than 145 countries and all of 50 US states.

Cisco’s partners from business, government and community organisations form an ecosystem to deliver the range of services and support needed to grow tomorrow’s global workforce. Initially created to prepare students for the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) degrees, the Academy curriculum has expanded with ecosystem-partner sponsored courses. Optional courses include: Fundamentals of Web design, sponsored by Adobe Systems; IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software and IT Essentials: Network Operating Systems, sponsored by Hewlett-Packard; Fundamentals of Voice and Data Cabling, sponsored by Panduit and Fundamentals of UNIX and Fundamentals of Java, sponsored by Sun Microsystems.