- November 8, 2025
- Posted by: itmanager
- Category: Innovation, Latest News
Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has taken another bold step toward consolidating its position as a leading research-intensive institution in Africa with the deployment of a ₦35 million state-of-the-art High-Performance Computing (HPC) Server.
The installation followed a strategic courtesy visit by the Covenant Applied Informatics and Communication African Centre of Excellence (CApIC-ACE) team from Covenant University, Ota, held between Tuesday, November 4, and Thursday, November 6, 2025.
The team’s interest in the visit was influenced by ABUAD’s former Provost, College of Engineering, Emeritus Professor Israel Owolabi, whose distinguished record of mentorship and notable academic contributions have played a pivotal role in fostering collaboration between both institutions, particularly in the areas of high-performance computing, cloud infrastructure, and the FEDGEN Project- a transformative initiative advancing genomic and computational research across Africa.
Engr. Dr. Temitayo Ejidokun, an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical, Electronics, and Computer Engineering at ABUAD’s College of Engineering, serves as the Coordinator of the World Bank–assisted project in the University.
The CApIC-ACE delegation, led by Lead Infrastructure Engineer, Engr. Matthew B. Akanle, included; Infrastructure Engineer; Engr. (Mrs) Faith Sweetwilliams, Dr. Idowu Bismark; Co-Investigator and Mr. John Wejin, Researcher. They were joined virtually by the Centre Leader, Prof. Emeka Iweala, and Deputy Centre Leader, Prof. Emmanuel Adetiba.
The team was warmly received by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. E. Smaranda Olarinde, FCArb, FCAI, along with senior university officials including the Director of International Collaboration and Linkages, Prof. Adeniran Afolalu; Provost of the College of Engineering, Prof. Olufemi Onibonoje, and the Deputy Director of ICT, Mr. Muyiwa Oladimeji.
In her remarks, Prof. Olarinde commended the visiting team for their commitment to advancing innovation and collaboration within Nigeria’s higher education landscape. She reaffirmed ABUAD’s dedication to driving digital transformation and promoting scientific research that addresses Africa’s most pressing developmental challenges.
“The partnership represents a practical step toward equipping ABUAD scholars and students with advanced digital tools and competencies required for impactful research, innovation, and problem-solving,” she added
A major highlight of the visit was the formal handover and installation of the High-Performance Server, consisting of five Dell EMC R740 PowerEdge units and supporting infrastructure valued at ₦35 million. The deployment, executed at ABUAD’s ICT Centre with technical support from both institutions, is expected to empower researchers to process and analyze large-scale genomic data, artificial intelligence (AI) models, and other data-intensive projects, enabling groundbreaking discoveries in health, biotechnology, and engineering.
The visit also featured a hands-on technical training workshop attended by over 80 participants, including faculty members and researchers. Key presentations were delivered by Prof. Adetiba, Engr. (Mrs) Sweetwilliams, and Dr. Wejin, who introduced participants to the FEDGEN Cloud and HPC infrastructure, demonstrating its relevance to artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, and machine learning. The sessions underscored how high-performance computing accelerates innovation, enhances research capacity, and supports large-scale data-driven investigations across diverse disciplines.
The success of this engagement was made possible through the visionary leadership of the Founder and Chancellor, Aare Afe Emmanuel Babalola, CON, OFR, SAN, whose enduring commitment to education, research, and innovation continues to propel ABUAD to global prominence.
It was also strengthened by the steadfast support of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olarinde, and the strategic coordination of the Directorate of International Collaboration and Linkages, whose efforts ensured the seamless execution of the visit and the successful installation of the FEDGEN Testbed Infrastructure (Region 4) with other regions hosted in Covenant, and her sister university Landmark, Omu-Aran.
