UNILAG's 17th Annual Research Conference Shines Light on Digital Transformation in Higher Education

The 17th Annual Research Conference of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) concluded on Thursday, October 24, 2024, after three days of thought-provoking discussions and groundbreaking research presentations. Held as part of the 2024 UNILAG International Week, the event focused on the theme Digital Transformation for Inclusive Higher Education and featured multiple sub-themes including equity in digital access, technological innovations, and indigenous knowledge.

The conference, which took place at the UNILAG Guest Houses and Conference Centre, attracted 137 participants, including researchers, industry experts, policymakers, and diplomats. The event featured two panel sessions, 17 oral presentations, and 54 poster presentations, spanning topics from biomedical engineering to artificial intelligence and educational management practices.

In her opening remarks, UNILAG’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development Services), Professor Ayodele Atsenuwa, highlighted the critical importance of digital transformation for fostering inclusivity in higher education. Oral presentations followed, with notable contributions such as Towards a Workforce Digital Twin Framework for Smart Law Enforcement in Nigerian Cities and Development of a Low-Cost IoT-Based Cardiovascular Monitoring System.

The conference celebrated key achievements, including the award for the best poster in the sciences, which was presented to Faisal Jolayemi for his work on the preservation potential of natural extracts in food storage. In the humanities, the top award went to Adejoke Oyewunmi and her team for their poster on Digital Transformation for Gender-Inclusive Higher Education.

The Early Career Researcher Award in the sciences was won by G.O. Igbinigie for his innovative design of an electromyography sensor for prosthetic control. In the humanities, Eniola Oluwafeyikemi Ogunmona received recognition for her research on the impact of human resource accounting on corporate performance.

The conference closed with the reading of the communiqué by Professor Wale Okunuga, Director of the Research Management Office, and a vote of thanks from the Chairman of the Conference Planning Committee, Professor Oludiran Akinleye. The event underscored the role of digital transformation in enhancing educational access and inclusivity across various sectors.