The Director of the Africa Centre of Excellence on Technology Enhanced Learning (ACETEL), Professor Grace Jokthan has formally handed over the leadership of the centre to the newly-appointed Director, Professor Emeka Ogoko, marking the beginning of a new phase in the centre’s development.
The handover ceremony, held at ACETEL office, NOUN Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, signified the successful completion of the centre’s five-year project, which commenced in 2019.
It was launched with the vision of establishing a world-class Technology for Education Centre focused on impactful research, innovation, and human capital development.
Speaking during the transition ceremony, Professor Jokthan reflected on the remarkable journey of the centre, describing the period as one marked by resilience, innovation, and academic excellence.
She noted that ACETEL had made significant strides in advancing postgraduate education and digital capacity building within Nigeria and across Africa.
Jokthan gave a detailed explanation of the operations of the centre and also explained the processes of achieving mandated results.
In his remarks, the new director, Professor Ogoko, commended the outgoing director for laying a solid foundation for the centre’s continued growth and sustainability.
He pledged to build on the achievements recorded over the years while pursuing greater innovation, academic excellence, industry collaboration, and research visibility.
The handover ceremony also provided an opportunity for staff to reflect on the centre’s impact since inception.
Since its establishment in 2019, ACETEL has contributed significantly to capacity building in critical technology fields, while fostering innovation, digital transformation, and research-driven solutions to contemporary societal challenges.
Under the leadership of Prof. Jokthan, the centre expanded its academic offerings and strengthened its reputation as a hub for technology-driven education.
The centre successfully achieved all the milestones mandated by the World Bank including the ACETEL state-of-the-art smart building project that houses ACETEL laboratories which include: Artificial Intelligence Lab, Cybersecurity Lab, Management Information Systems (MIS) Lab, Virtual Reality (VR) Lab, Basic Lab, Multimedia Lab and the CISCO Academy. These labs can be accessed virtually by students.
The ACETEL smart building also houses the National Open University Of Nigeria (NOUN) Data Centre.
ACETEL currently runs postgraduate programmes leading to Master of Science (MSc) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, and Management Information System (MIS).
The centre also operates the ACETEL CISCO Academy, which provides professional and short-term technology training programmes aimed at equipping learners with globally relevant digital skills.
Prof. Jokthan stated that the centre’s achievements were made possible through the dedication of staff, management, internal and external facilitators, project supervisors, institutional and industry partners who contributed to the realisation of the project’s objectives.
She expressed satisfaction that the project concluded successfully in December 2025 and now graduating its third set of postgraduate students in April 2026, many of whom are expected to contribute meaningfully to research, industry, and national development in emerging technology fields.
As the centre enters a new era under Professor Ogoko’s leadership, it looks forward to the continuous strengthening of the centre’s position as a leading institution for advanced technology in education and research on the Africa continent.
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