FUNAAB’s COLCOMPS Launches Inaugural Lecture Series to Drive Academic Innovation and Industry Relevance

The College of Computing Sciences (COLCOMPS) at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), has inaugurated its maiden lecture series, signalling a strategic push to deepen academic excellence and strengthen innovation in computing education.

The event, held on April 1, 2026, at Auditorium III of the College, focused on advancing academic growth and positioning computing education to meet evolving global and industry demands.

Representing the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Olusegun Idowu, described the initiative as a defining moment in the University’s drive toward intellectual leadership and technological relevance. He underscored the institution’s commitment to sustaining its leadership in knowledge creation, digital innovation, and societal impact.

He noted that the lecture series is designed to function as a strategic platform for policy direction and intellectual exchange, enabling stakeholders to reassess existing academic frameworks, refine teaching methodologies, and reposition the College for greater global competitiveness. Key priorities, he said, include strengthening research capacity, expanding industry collaboration, enhancing digital infrastructure, and developing high-impact talent pipelines.

The University’s management also reaffirmed its backing for initiatives aimed at transforming COLCOMPS into a centre of excellence, while urging students to embrace innovation and prepare for leadership roles within the digital economy.

In his keynote address titled “A Strategic Framework for Accelerating Academic Growth and Innovation: A Case of the College of Computing Sciences,” the Director of the Directorate of Academic Information System, Prof. Olusegun Folorunso, emphasised the urgent need to produce graduates who are both technically proficient and industry-ready.

He stressed that modern computing education must integrate advanced technical knowledge with innovation-driven thinking and entrepreneurial competence. According to him, stronger collaboration between academia, industry, and society is no longer optional but essential, given the central role computing plays in sectors ranging from finance and governance to healthcare and education.

Folorunso highlighted the growing global demand for expertise in data science and analytics, noting that data-driven decision-making has become a critical competitive edge in today’s economy. He called for alignment of academic programmes with global best practices and regulatory standards, particularly those set by the National Universities Commission (NUC), through updated curricula, faculty development, and sustained industry engagement.

He also outlined a strategic roadmap anchored on practical, problem-solving learning models, urging students to apply computing knowledge to real-world challenges in agriculture, healthcare, and community development. He encouraged the transformation of academic ideas into scalable entrepreneurial ventures capable of driving economic value.

Earlier, the Dean of the College, Prof. Oluwasefunmi Arogundade, described the lecture as a landmark development in the evolution of COLCOMPS. Established in 2025, the College was created in response to the accelerating demands of the digital era.

She noted that computing has become a critical enabler of development across multiple sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, governance, education, and industry, particularly amid the rapid advancement of digital technologies and artificial intelligence.