American Semiconductor manufacturing company, Intel Corporation has donated digital Galileo boards to eight Nigerian universities as yet another move to demonstrate its commitment to promoting learning and innovation around the world.

The boards were recently presented to the eight institutions which were selected after a thorough application process. The winning universities included Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria; Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State; Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State; Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ekiti State.

Other benefitting universities were the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Ondo State, Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), Imo State and the University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State.

At the handing-over event, Intel’s Corporate Affairs Group Director, Moise Adams Leye, revealed the rationale behind the move saying it was geared at motivating people to adopt more innovation and technology. “Intel is a powerful enabler of local innovation. Intel is donating 50, 000 Galileo board worldwide; we are working in 18 countries around the world including Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria. Many schools around the world are already using the boards in embedded computing or micro-computer,” he said.

Describing the unique features of the digital boards, he added; “Galileo Board will enable students to embrace technology because the whole idea of it is to encourage learning and creating things that solves challenges. It is unique in that it allows the students to go from the simplest innovation to the more sophisticated things which is really the way to go.”

Also present at the event was a representative Professor Julius Okojie, Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC). He lauded Intel for the donation while also congratulating the benefitting institutions.

“The National Universities Commission (NUC) is happy to be partnering with Intel and appreciate Intel for donating the boards to the Nigerian universities. We are convinced that the boards will encourage innovation because ideas and innovation are what move societies forward,” he said.

“While the NUC congratulates the beneficiary universities and enjoined other corporate bodies to emulate such gestures, we also hope that the boards will be put to excellent use so that Nigeria can also produce inventors like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and the likes in the near future,” he concluded.

Further news from the Intel Corporate Affairs Department suggests that other workshops with the universities will be executed as a sequel to the donation, the objective still being to inspire innovation.

By Emmanuel Iruobe