Date: 2017-03-30

KWARA State University, Malete, has set up a 22-man software development and innovation team to develop antivirus software and application to prevent attack by hackers of computer systems.

Speaking at the inauguration of the team, made up of system engineers and information communication technology experts in the university, the vice chancellor, Professor Abdulrasheed Na'Allah, urged the team to come up with measures to be taken to avoid increasing attacks by the system hackers.

The vice chancellor, who said that the team was set up to boost information technology (IT) revolution in the country, challenged the team to "think global and act local" in their given assignment.

Processor Na'Allah said that their innovation should reflect global ideas to local realities and ways of life in order to benefit ordinary people.

He blamed failures in some of the nation's past projects on innovation which did not include local content and application, saying that those proponents of foreign ideas and innovation often failed to think of local social challenges.

The vice chancellor said that the mandate given to the team include development of software and application for business and corporate sector of the economy, including creation of new software and application on people's social needs and ways of life.

"For instance, (we need) a software application that would help identify genuine students in a particular university, for local farmers, traders and even illiterates that can use phone. We want to lead the way to benefit the school, our society and the nation," he said.

Also speaking, the head of the 22-man software development and innovation team, who is also the director, Communication and Information Technology Directorate of the university, Dr Hassanat Bello, said the team was determined to make the university African ICT hub with production of original software and application that would be patented.

Dr Bello, who said that the team would work with first class graduates and alumni of the university, added that it would also work with locals, parents, government, non-governmental organisations, as well as local and foreign schools.