The University of Lagos (UNILAG), through its Central Industrial Liaison and Placement Unit (CILPU), has received a major technological boost following the donation of a server by Koonage Infotec, a Nigerian-based IT company specializing in web and app development as well as digital marketing.
The handover ceremony took place on Friday, May 2, 2025, at the Ground Floor of the Senate House. The event was graced by members of CILPU, led by its Director, Professor Johnson Agunsoye, and representatives of the Centre for Information Technology and Systems (CITS), headed by Deputy Director (NIS), Dr. Ibukun Adewale.
In his remarks, Professor Agunsoye revealed that the server would be used to host the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) Management Application, tagged UNILAG-INTERN. Developed in line with a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed between UNILAG and Koonage Infotec in February 2025, the app is designed to transform the SIWES experience at the university.
According to him, UNILAG-INTERN will revolutionize the internship process by:
Allowing students to seamlessly search and apply for internship positions with verified companies.
Phasing out the traditional SIWES logbooks by enabling digital tracking and supervision.
Empowering supervisors to monitor students’ activities remotely.
Offering companies a more efficient platform to recruit student interns.
Professor Agunsoye added that the trial version of the app is scheduled for release in July 2025, pending final approval from the Industrial Trust Fund (ITF) for a paperless SIWES model. Upon successful rollout, the university hopes to advocate for its adoption in institutions nationwide.
Present at the ceremony were the Chairman of Koonage Infotec, Dr. Femi Adeleke, and the company’s Executive Director, Miss Adedolapo Oni. Dr. Adeleke expressed delight over the collaboration and the impact the application would have on internship coordination and student accessibility.
The innovation marks a new chapter in UNILAG’s efforts to digitize student engagement and strengthen industry-academic collaboration.