Across the world today, the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is forcing governments, businesses and institutions of higher learning amongst others to reinvent themselves. In Nigeria, this deadly pandemic is lifting the veil of limitation and easing the resistance that once upon a time greeted the penetration and adoption of technological advancements in the country.
Bowen University, one of Nigeria’s leading universities known for deploying the use of technology to empower her students to make them globally competitive and relevant has recently launched a virtual tour of its school to give incoming students, parents, guardians and key stakeholders an immersive experience of the institution. We caught up with the lead of the project who happens to be an alumnus of the institution to discuss his journey and motivation. Below is an excerpt of the interview.
http://virtualtour.bowen.edu.ng/bowenvirtualtour/
Question: Hello Sir, can you please give us a bit of a background about yourself and how you built the amazing Bowen University Virtual Tour?
Thank you for having me, my name is Onyinye Enyioha. I’m a proud graduate of Bowen University with a major in Computer Science. I currently serve as the Founder and Technical Lead of a company called TotalView Media, which specializes in creating digital experiences for organizations. I am from Obinze in Imo State.
TotalView Media started operations in 2018. To be candid, TotalView Media is a brand birthed by faith. I received a call from Mrs. Foluke Ayuba (Director, Parents and Corporate Affairs, Bowen University) asking me if I knew anyone who could develop a Virtual Tour. At that time, I had zero knowledge or skill regarding virtual tours however, I simply summoned courage to respond with faith saying, “I can do the job Ma” – that was how the journey of learning and building the brand began.
Question: Why did you do the project and what impact does it have on Bowen and your business?
As the name implies, a virtual tour is a remote visitation to a location from your comfort zone (home, office, anywhere at all) – all you simply need is a smartphone or laptop and voilà, you are in the organization.
A virtual tour is an incredible digital marketing tool that connects an organization with its clients and attracts potential clients in ways that we have never experienced before. There are so many amazing things people did not know about Bowen university and this tour was an essential tool in showcasing these special landmarks to the world.
The virtual tour project of Bowen University also had a positive impact on TotalView Media as we began to draw more attention and visibility from people from all over the world. When people see the excellent job we delivered to Bowen University, they trust us a lot more to deliver on their projects. By God’s grace, we can boast of having the best university virtual tour experience in Nigeria, a massive feat that we are privileged to have pioneered. I seize this opportunity to say a big thank you to the Vice Chancellor and Management of Bowen University for trusting us to handle such a groundbreaking project.
Question: How did your learnings in Bowen University help you become who you are today?
As you may know, Bowen University emphasizes on Excellence and Godliness in all we do. These values have been imprinted on my mind and they are the foundational principles upon which I live and run my business.
Question: How important is technology for universities?
Technology is a compulsory tool for all universities to take advantage of, especially if we want our graduates to compete in the global market. The competition for jobs today is not really a battle with fellow Nigerians, rather we are competing in a digital marketplace and against very competitive people from developed countries. Hence, it is imperative that Nigerian universities understand the role technology is playing in strengthening institutions globally and key into that trend to scale their offerings and produce exceptional graduates.
Question: Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years
In 5 years’, I see myself still developing solutions for individuals and businesses globally. My primary objective is to make positive impact always and deliver value to everyone I come across along the way.
Question: How are you staying in touch with Bowen supporting its advancement?
Bowen University is very dear to my heart and I still have fond memories of the institution and people. I am always ready to support the University and contribute my quota to enable it to continue to standout.
Question: Who would you consider a mentor or someone that you look up to as regards work ethics and guidance?
Dr Aderibigbe is one of those I learnt a lot and I am still learning from. His devotion to work is mind-blowing and it is very inspiring knowing that he is also an alumnus of Bowen University. However, in the business world, I look up to Dr. Lanre Philips. I speak with him almost every day and he is always challenging me to be better.
Question: At what point would you consider yourself successful in life?
The journey to success is an unending journey and very relative. However, I believe that I am only just getting warmed up for that journey. The only way I measure success is based on how much I have yielded to God’s will at the end of my time on earth.
It was a great speaking with Onyinye and as Prof Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole, the Vice Chancellor Bowen University would say, “We are building winners, champions who are exceptionally skillful and with great character that will make them standout anywhere in the world. It’s about starting them early, respecting and utilizing their skills here rather than paying lip service to them. Soon enough, in line with our mission, Bowenines will be the ones setting global standards and defining the future. Bowen University is transitioning from good to great and there is no room for compromises in standards.”
In all, Bowen University is focused on bringing the best minds together to ensure it can compete globally and prepare its wards for the workplace and business world.
