Representatives of Cisco Networking Academy, an IT skills and career-building programme for learning institutions and individuals worldwide, has offered to strengthen the organization’s relationship with Covenant University on different fronts to place the University in a better-rated position, globally.

The Academy Support Contact, Cisco Networking Academy, Mr Olatayo Toyin, made the offer recently when he led a team from Cisco on a courtesy visit to the Ag. Vice-Chancellor, Covenant University, Professor Akan Williams. Mr Toyin said that Cisco was open to doing more incredible things with Covenant and are ever ready to keep engaging with the University towards the attainment of her long and short-term visions.

While stating that Cisco was proud of the existing relationship with Covenant, Mr Toyin commended the University’s Management for being one of the nation’s leading investors in students’ readiness for the world of work. According to him, “Our visit is in recognition of Covenant for preparing the future workforce for the world of work”.

The Cisco Academy Support Contact also seized the opportunity afforded by the visit to congratulate Professor Akan Williams on his appointment as Ag. Vice-Chancellor of Covenant University.

The Coordinator, Centre for Information Technology (CIT), Covenant, Professor Victor Osamor, acknowledged the robust relationship between Covenant and Cisco. He said there was the need to continue working at building on the relationship by building giants in various fields of human endeavour in the area of ICT.

Professor Osamor was of the view that there was a need to reinvent and evaluate the current relationship towards determining where to make improvements with the ultimate goal being the advancement of CIT, and making Covenant a partner with certification power to enrollees of CIT/Cisco programmes.

The Director, Covenant University’s Centre for Systems and Information Services (CSIS), Engineer Bayo Ajala, said there was the need to work at opening new frontiers in the existing relationship. He stated that Cisco should partner with Covenant to buy fully into the full-time certification platform of the partner organization and evolve a new system that could help both organizations benefit from the relationship.

In his remarks, the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Akan Williams, commended the Cisco team for the relationship thus far. He noted that it was necessary to revisit the existing Memorandum of Understanding between Covenant and Cisco and see how to review the terms of the partnership.

Professor Williams said that the relationship needed to be tailored in a manner that it would be students’ targeted, ensuring that students of the University make the most of the opportunities available from the relationship to imbue them with a new skill set that was industry-relevant.

The meeting also had in attendance the Registrar, Dr Oluwasegun Omidiora; Director, Financial Services, Pastor Babatunde Onatola; Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies, Professor Humphery Adebayo; Dean, Student Affairs, Professor Conrad Omonhinmin; and CIT Resource Officer, Engr. Omotola Akinyeoluwa.