IEEE OAU Partners Terragon Group to hold Professional Awareness Conference

The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (IEEE), Obafemi Awolowo University Ile‐Ife Chapter will be organizing a 2‐Day Students’ Professional Awareness Conference (SPAC) in partnership with Africa’s leading digital media company, Terragon Group, themed ‘The Complete Professional.’

The Conference scheduled to hold on the 25th and 26th of February, 2016 will host over 300 students from other top tertiary institutions in the country namely University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, Covenant University and the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology.

According to Mrs. Anurika Azubuike, Head of Marketing, Terragon Group, who spoke about the company’s participation at this year’s event, the move was part of the company’s NextGen initiative, a mentorship and coaching platform designed to develop the  local mobile ecosystem by giving students developers and technology enthusiasts an avenue to showcase their innovation and skills.

Mrs. Anurika Azubuike

Azubuike stated, “Terragon Group is passionate about growing the local ecosystem. We have done this over the years working with different small businesses and assisting with getting them to where they need to be to become successful online especially through mobile, and investing in a dedicated research team through which we carry out periodic research to contribute to data available for our local markets. These research reports have become a go‐to resource for marketers, brand managers and business owners who need adequate data to make key business decisions.

“Our NextGen Initiative was borne out of the need to grow more skills and knowledge in the younger generation and rising talents within the technology space. Through the program, we will give students the opportunity to practice what they have learnt theoretically and in their classrooms, and get them to bring those learnings to real‐life experiences to test their theories, giving them an inside view of the industry and create immense skilled value for the technology space in the country.”


Michael Okuboyejo, Chair, IEEE OAU, who spoke on behalf of IEEE OAU Chapter, said that the choice of the theme for this year’s event stemmed from the dearth of professionals to resolve the problems of the suburban parts of Africa, specifically Nigeria as it is full of untapped potential.

He said, “To correct the lack of professional engineers in the field, there is a need for a 360 degree experience. Students need to see the relevance of the theoretical concepts taught in class as writing examinations alone without exposure and field work cannot make one a complete professional. Only then can they creatively come up with real solutions to problems faced in the different sectors of the economy.”

The event would be preceded by a project exhibition tagged ‘ Finding the Within ’ on the 25th of February, followed by the conference on 26th of February, which would focus on bringing students up‐to‐date with the current trends in technology, helping students come up with solutions to local problems and turning innovation into sustainable businesses.

The Conference would feature talk sessions from Mr. Ayodeji Balogun, Chief Technology Officer, Terragon Group who will speak on ‘Planning a Tech Career’; Dr. Kayode Ayodele, Head of Department, Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile‐Ife.