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GIS Higher Education Development in Nigeria: The Example of The GIS Programme, The University Of Ibadan, Nigeria. The establishment of the GIS Laboratory at Ibadan spanned about two academic sessions. This entailed in the first instance, development advisory team workshops to raise awareness and to provide avenues for Nigerian participants to identify research priorities in the areas of spatial decision support systems and environmental monitoring and management and establish a need for GIS technology as a decision-making tool in a problem-solving environment. Secondly, the UDLP sponsored training and refresher courses for Nigerian faculty both locally and in Iowa on the latest computer hardware and GIS software available then with a view to drawing up realistic configurations of hardware, software and peripherals for the proposed GIS Laboratory. The Nigerian faculty had the opportunity of hands-on practice with various types of software mainly in laboratories at Iowa State University in Ames and also at the University of Iowa. The actual purchase and installation of equipment in 1994/1995 were finalized and implemented through the collaborative work of Professor Duane Shinn of the Department of Community and Regional Planning, Iowa State University, the UDLP Project leader, Professor Michael McNulty of the University of Iowa, and Professors Bola Ayeni and Olusegun Areola both of the Department of Geography, University of Ibadan. The stage was thus set for the take-off of the programme as well as the admission of the first batch of graduate students. The equipment and the software came in stages, the last set were installed in July 1996. 2 Installed Hardware and Software. At inception, the laboratory had hardware comprising the following:
The software complement was an integration of both vector-based and raster-based software, and they are listed in Table 1.  Over the years, some of the software installation packages were corrupted due to constant use and some became obsolete. Software that became obsolete included ArcCAD/Autocad, TransCAD and Alexander. All other installed software and hardware have been upgraded over the years. Currently, the Unit boasts of about fifteen (15) new computers all Pentium III, 256 Mb RAM, 30GB HDD, CD-ROM, USB, full multimedia, networked and fully internet ready. Three of the computers have been fully activated for internet browsing for students’ use. They were purchased about two years ago, and the department is putting in place a scheme whereby computers would be upgraded or renewed every three years. Other currently available peripheral equipments include:
3 Laboratory Utilisation, Student Enrolment, and Curriculum Development At the inception, laboratory facilities operationalisation was greatly enhanced by the UDLP. This was via the procurement of spare parts and consumables, system administration support and the exchange of faculty. Various hands-on workshops were organised in 1995 and 1996 mainly in Nigeria for the faculty on subjects like internet training, GIS software use, and other installed software. In addition to the faculty, the trainees in the 1996 workshop series have included the first set of students admitted into the one calendar year Professional M.Sc. Degree course in GIS at the Department of Geography, University of Ibadan. Thirty graduate students were admitted in the 1995 / 1996 academic session and they represented a motley mix of senior and accomplished professionals in the environmental sector from various government agencies, the private sector and academics. This mix was considered relevant in an environment where awareness of environmental issues and modern technology was considered very low. Application for admission to the programme has witnessed a steady increase over the years to about 130 prospective applicants per session. Admission figures have also struggled to keep up with this rise. |