By Okechukwu Onuegbu
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Anambra State ICT Agency, Mr Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, on Wednesday, revealed that governor Chukwuma Soludo was bridging the gap between research and digital infrastructure in various ways.
According to Agbata, the governor was using the ICT Agency in bridging the gap between research and digital infrastructure, as well as in supporting academics in publishing and promoting their works globally.
Agbata, who stated this at one-Day staff Training Bootcamp on Academic Writing and Presentation, themed “Publish with Confidence, Promote with Ease,” organized by the Faculty of Agriculture, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, argued that the initiatives include high-speed broadband, cloud-based digital libraries, and partnerships that ensure equitable access to digital tools for researchers.
Speaking on the theme, "The Role of the Anambra State ICT Agency in Advancing Digital Libraries and Academic Repositories under Soludo’s Solution Administration," the ICT guru enjoined academics, researchers, and stakeholders to leverage the opportunities for elevating research visibility through effective publishing.
Also speaking, the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Professor Joseph Ikechebelu, represented by Professor Fredrick Odibo, urged participants to focus on producing impactful and problem-solving work so as to build people confidence in academic writing.
On her part, Chairperson of the occasion and National Librarian and CEO of the National Library of Nigeria, Prof. Chinwe Anunobi, represented by Dr. Ngozi Osuchukwu, while advocating for ethical AI use in academic writing, urged scholars to explore ways of making their research findings accessible using open access platforms such as Google Scholar and Wikipedia.
In a remark, the Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ), Anambra State Council, Dr. Emeka Odogwu represented by Comrade Tochukwu Ifejika, the Chairperson of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), urged academics to collaborate with the media for wider dissemination of their work.
Highlights of the event was practical training on how to publish on journals indexed on Scopus and Clarivate, presentation of partnership awards to Anambra State ICT Agency, and renewed commitments from stakeholders to work together in creating a thriving academic environment where research is amplified globally.