Skye Bank Plc has donated a N600m state-of-the-art Information and Communication Technology centre to the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.

The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Mr. Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti, handed over the centre to the Vice Chancellor, OAU, Prof. Bamitale Omole, on Tuesday.

Built on the campus of the university, the 700-seater centre, according to Durosinmi-Etti, will expand the frontiers of education and aid learning.

He said N150m was spent on the construction of the centre, while N450m was used for procurement and installation of equipment.

Omole said the centre would be utilised to harness modern technology for effective and efficient learning, and research.

“The problem of large classes will soon be a thing of the past as lecturers and students can interact real-time online,” Omole said.

Durosinmi-Etti, on his part, said, “It is our desire to support causes that are of benefit to aid the extension of the frontiers of education.

“The application of information technology in our education has assumed a more important dimension as it confers several advantages.”

Speaking on the occasion, the Pro Chancellor, OAU, Prof. Rowland Ndoma-Egba, said, “With this magnanimity from Skye Bank, the university should maintain its lead in ICT education with a view to developing software that are technologically advanced, but purposely indigenous.

“OAU is coming to a point that we should be able to produce indigenous computers, iPads, iPods and other gadgets to address the challenges facing Nigeria.”

The ICT centre has a tele-presence unit; cloud computing laboratory; software studio and Internet access laboratory.