By Charles Maduka
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, has disclosed that the ongoing “japa” trend, where Nigerians seek opportunities abroad, has caused a rise in transcript requests from alumni.
Speaking at UNILAG’s 2024 International Week and 17th Annual Research Conference, themed “Inclusive Digital Transformation and the University Promise,” Prof. Ogunsola noted that many alumni, including those who graduated 30 to 40 years ago, are returning to the university to request their transcripts.
She said, “Africa adopted digital technology later than other parts of the world, but UNILAG has been committed to embracing it for the last 57 years. Moving to a digital system is not just about wanting to; it requires funding and proper policies.”
Prof. Ogunsola also mentioned the university’s efforts to improve infrastructure on its three campuses, despite the challenges of Nigeria’s electricity problems, which can damage digital equipment. Still, she highlighted the progress made with the introduction of a student information management system, which has simplified some processes.
However, the “japa” syndrome has led to increased demand for transcripts. “We now get requests from people who graduated 30 or 40 years ago, which means we have to go through old paper records. Graduates from 2010 onwards have fewer issues because their records are already digital,” she explained.
On the topic of artificial intelligence (AI), Prof. Ogunsola described it as both helpful and challenging. She said that while AI can gather vast amounts of data from the internet, it sometimes struggles to differentiate between reliable and false information. “It’s important to learn how to properly frame questions, or ‘prompts,’ to get good results from AI,” she added.
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