At a brief handing-over ceremony on the Ground Floor of the Senate House, on Friday, May 2, 2025, the Central Industrial Liaison and Placement Unit, University of Lagos (CILPU), received the donation of a Server from Koonage Infotec, an Information Technology (IT) firm dedicated to providing top-notch web development, app development, and digital marketing solutions in Nigeria.
On hand to receive the donation were members of staff of CILPU led by its Director, Prof. Johnson Agunsoye and members of the Centre for Information Technology and Systems led by its Deputy Director (NIS), Dr. Ibukun Adewale.
Prof. Agunsoye noted that the donated server would be set up at the Senate House and used to launch an application called Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) Management Application (UNILAG-INTERN).
According to him, the University of Lagos and Koonage Infotec, in a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) earlier signed in February 2025, agreed to the creation of the UNILAG-INTERN application. The application aims to enhance the SIWES programme by digitizing processes, improving accessibility, and streamlining interactions between students, faculty, administrators and industry partners.
The CILPU-UNILAG Director stated that the app would:
- enable UNILAG students to search for available internship opportunities in companies, thus reducing the stress of commuting to different companies in search of internship opportunities.
- eliminate the need for traditional Logbooks. Additionally,
- enable SIWES supervisors conduct online supervision and directly access companies remotely, removing the burden of in-person visits.
- benefit companies as an efficient way of recruiting interns from the existing student population at the University of Lagos.
Professor Agunsoye disclosed that the trial version of the App would be released in July 2025, adding that CILPU is waiting on the approval of the Industrial Trust Fund (ITF) to go paperless in the conduct of SIWES at UNILAG. He disclosed that upon successful implementation, the programme would be suggested to the management of ITF so that a similar programme could be launched for all institutions across the country.
The Chairman of Koonage Infotec, Dr. Femi Adeleke was accompanied to the event by the Executive Director of the company, Miss Adedolapo Oni. He expressed excitement at the collaboration by both institutions, and the great relief the application would bring to UNILAG and its students.
Report: Ndidi J. Odinikaeze
Photographs: Joshua Michael
