ICT refers to Information and Communication Technology. This technology is built on different ways and methods of moving (communicating) information from point to point. It mainly borders on the use of computers and the internet to facilitate the immediate transfer of information from source to destination since information must be timely to be reliable.
The ICT Unit of Enugu Polytechnic, Iwollo was progressively developed alongside with the Polytechnic from inception. Due to logistics, it started small with providing all Principal Officer with laptops and a three in one printer (print, copy and scan) to facilitate quick and enhanced communication.
Subsequently, the Rector in his bid to ensure improvement in the Institution’s affairs assigned a building to ICT for her quicker development. He also approved and made available funds for the purchase and installation of two internet facilities to enable internet services in the Polytechnic. Consequent upon this, a 1.8m C band VSAT dish and a 1.2m Ku band VSAT dish was procured and installed in the Polytechnic and Liaison office respectively. To ensure that all within and outside the four walls of the Institution can gain access to the network, the ICT made provision of two high range wireless Mikrotik routers to expand the distribution of the internet. With this, the ICT was able to commercialize the internet services with a fifty user cyber café furnished with laptops only for staff, students and the public to tap from.
To ensure that the most use of the cyber café was made, a training studio was introduced by the ICT for a compulsory computer training comprising of basic computer appreciation, Ms Word, Ms Excel, Ms Power point and the use of the internet for all staff and students free of charge. This is to ensure that all
within the Institution become computer literate and is able to appreciate the world with respect to IT. To our greatest surprise, the turnout was massive that we almost had issues handling it if not for the very good administration of the Polytechnic. This course for the student is also aimed at increasing the entrepreneurial skills of the students so that they can be able to face the global world even as agriculturists.
The ICT Unit of ESPOLY have single handedly without assistance designed a website for the Institution which will be hosted by next month once the logistics of proof reading and approval of the site has been finalized. This is to boost the Institution’s access to international communities which we already have links and affiliations/linkages with like University of Turin, La Stanga Italy, etc
To encourage the Polytechnic in her bid to be independent before long, the ICT Unit added a commercial business centre to its cyber café and returns its proceeds to the Institution on a monthly basis.
The ICT Unit has come up with an ultra modern state of the art audio visual studio to train students visually with sound enhancement. Experts have proved that visual effects (especially beefed with sound) is a better enhanced mode of learning because it is faster, makes more impact on the memory and simulates the brain into experimenting with what the eyes have seen. Visual teaching gives proof to theoretical teaching showing that what is been said verbally is visually possible. Our staff often takes advantage of this studio for their conferences and training.
The ICT is poised at doing more to improve the growth of the Polytechnic with coming up with more innovations of which some like creation of an ultra modern digital photo lab, extensive training of secondary school students on computer appreciation within the locality, commercial design and hosting of websites or firms etc are already in progress.
