Varsity Students Urged to Uphold African Culture Via Technology

Funmi Ogundare 

University students across Africa and the United Kingdom have been urged to uphold the uniqueness of the African culture with technological advancement. 

Participants at the third Umoja African Student Leaders Network Summit, hosted by the University of Lagos (UNILAG), who gave the charge, deliberated on matters concerning the role of technology in preserving African culture, while proffering solutions that can use digital platforms to connect student leaders; and boost good governance and ethical leadership among them.

The summit which marked the commencement of a week-long celebration of Nelson Mandela International Day, featured speakers from UNILAG; Stellenbosch University, University of Free State, Wits University and the University of Cape Town, South Africa. 

In her remarks, UNILAG Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folashade Ogunsola emphasised the need for youth inclusion and collaboration to actualise the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063; Africa’s blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future. 

She stated that Africa has 1,279 accredited universities, while commending the student leaders network for taking the lead to discuss the way forward.

“We are glad to add new universities to this leadership network. 75 per cent of Africa’s population are the youth. The youths are the hope we have to achieve the Africa we want.

“In the creative industry; music, fashion, art, tech, sculpture, they are everywhere. I am looking forwards to you coming up with concrete steps on how to go forward. UNILAG is solidly behind you,” she stated.

On the objectives of the summit, the Dean, Students’ Affairs, UNILAG, Musa Obalola, said the gathering is to encourage student leaders to align their research on sustainable development in Africa and the Agenda 2063. 

“If we must solve African problems, we must collaborate with other African countries particularly the youth to proffer solutions,” he said. 

He noted that the summit will encourage collaboration for solutions and promote good governance and ethical leadership among student leaders.

He added that the summit seeks to encourage the use of digital platforms as a tool to connect student leaders in Africa to share ideas, information, and research for the development of Africa. 

“We also want to see how African countries can benefit from the fourth industrial revolution,” Obalola said. 

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Development Services, Ayodele Atsenuwa said due to the impact of colonialism, Africa hasn’t had that the opportunity to evolve in the way that it could have organically.

She said that although the traditional culture is constantly evolving and getting modified, “we use technology to preserve and communicate our culture to be invigorated.”

The Director of the Institute of Africa and Diaspora Studies (IADS), UNILAG, and the guest speaker, Muyiwa Falaiye, noted that the essence of technology is to make impacts on the environment and not for fun.

He said that Africa has not done well in terms of technological advancement in Africa because of the “over-reliance on the West to produce everything that we need.” 

“The essence of technology is to be able to control your environment. It is not necessarily to develop fanciful things that perhaps you do not need. A lot of our resources are going to these fanciful things that do not speak to our reality,” he stressed.