VC, Prof. Oluwafemi Balogun commenting on Odu’a and FUNAAB’s relationship during the occasion while from left is Chief Adebayo Jimoh, Mr. Khalil Fouaz and Mr. Ade Ayoola.
The Management of Odua’ Telecoms Limited (O’net), has indicated interest in deploying Information Communications Technology infrastructure and applications for the expansion of learning, research and development activities, in the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB).
Speaking when the company’s management visited the University last week, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oluwafemi Olaiya Balogun said the University and Odu’a Group of Companies had been partners in progress as students of FUNAAB had benefited from the scholarship programme of Odu’a Group.
Prof. Balogun stressed that Odu’a Telecoms came at the appropriate time as FUNAAB was ready to key-in into global standards adding, with an opportunity to embark on comparative analysis with other telecommunications companies that had shown interest in investing in the University.
He, however, stated that there was mutual affinity between Odu’a and FUNAAB as the University is situated on an Odu’a land, covering about 10,200 Hectares.
Earlier, the Group Managing Director of Odu’a Group of Companies, Chief Adebayo Jimoh, said O’net had re-strategized, to compete in the Nigerian Telecoms market and that Concave Communications of Canada had taken up equity in the company.
Chief Jimoh promised to explore the possibility of displaying FUNAAB research products in the proposed Odu’a Ultramodern Mall, as requested by the Vice-Chancellor.
In his presentation, the Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer of O’net, Mr. Ade Ayoola, said that the revived network provider could not be beaten on tariff, as O’net charges as low as N12 per minute across network and N4.80k for O’ net calls.
He indicated the willingness of his company to join hands with the University in sourcing for funds to finance its ICT infrastructure.
Demanding answers to some of the technicalities, the immediate past Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development), Prof. Segun Lagoke urged the company to fine-tune modalities for the Closed User Group (CUG) package on the network.
Prof. Lagoke tasked the Management of O’net to initiate training facilities and partnership with the University’s Information, Communications Technology Resource Centre, in the area of capacity building.