Professor Musa Isiyaku Ahmed, the Director, Computer Services and Information Technology, University of Ilorin (Unilorin) has called on African universities to incorporate Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in their teaching and learning activities to improve quality.

He said digital technologies has brought about changes in teachers and students relationships as they learn from each-other, thereby shifting teachers' roles from providers of information to facilitators and guides to learning.

Prof Ahmed made the call at the launch of the sixth International Science, Technology, Education, Arts, Management and Social Sciences (iSTEAMS) Multidisciplinary cross-border conference in Accra.

The Conference is being hosted by the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on the theme: "Promoting Technology Transfer and Innovation through inter-tertiary collaborations and intellectual competition". It aims at fostering a good merger between technology and education, and inter-tertiary collaborations in areas of research.

The conference would also generate intellectual and human capital development and cross border interaction among academic Institutions. Prof Ahmed said: "With the advent of cloud-computing, the evolution of on-demand information technology services and products is fast growing.

"Such initiatives enhance the development of skills and share best practices for reducing operating cost, while improving quality and access to education. Many academics and students in universities are now aware and familiar with the benefits and characteristics of cloud computing as an efficient teaching and learning tool."

He said Unilorin had adopted the integration if ICT in its teaching and learning process; declaring that "in line with these changes, the University of Ilorin anticipated modernity and invested enormous amounts of resources in a bid to integrate ICT into the teaching and learning environment in a responsible and sustainable manner, adopting it as its core value."

"This has indeed paid off handsomely as the university is now the most sought for, in joint admissions and matriculation examination in the last three years," he added. Prof Joshua Alabi, the Vice-Chancellor of the UPSA, commended the iSTEAMS team for hosting the conference in Ghana adding that it was a sign of a good collaboration.

"The conference has come at a very opportune time in a dispensation where research and academic dynamics are becoming more collaborative, inter-tertiary and cross-border at increasing geometrical rates", he said.

"It is my fervent hope that objectives and cutting edge ideas and research generated by this august body would be effectively disseminated among policy makers and Government in the West-African sub-region and beyond, in order to formulate smart policies for National development," he said.

The iSTEAMS Conference presented several Awards of Excellence to personalities for their support and laudable contributions to iSTEAMS.

Prof Abdul Ganiyu, the Vice Chancellor, Unilorin, and Prof Joshua Alabi, Vice Chancellor, UPSA, picked up the Award of Excellence for contributions to multidisciplinary research and inter-tertiary collaborations.

Prof Clement K. Dzidonu, President, Accra Institute of Technology, was given the Award of Excellence for contributions to Human Capital and Educational Development in Africa, while Prof Edward Santiago-Blas, Colorado State University was given an Award of Excellence for contributions to cross-border Academic Initiatives and Linkages.

Also, Dr Hilda Vember, Nursing Department, Cape Pennisula University of Technology, was given the Award of Excellence for contributions for human capital development in Nursing Sciences and Medical care.

The next edition of the Conference "iSTEAMS Business-Focused Multidisciplinary Innovations and Technology Transfer Conference would be held in Unilorin, Nigeria in September.