{"id":1647,"date":"2026-07-15T14:40:05","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T13:40:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=1647"},"modified":"2026-07-15T15:39:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T14:39:37","slug":"rise-of-tech-in-abraka-microsoft-imagine-academy-class-transforms-digital-learning-at-delsu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=1647","title":{"rendered":"Rise of Tech in Abraka: Microsoft Imagine Academy Class Transforms Digital Learning at DELSU"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Vivian Aviara<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abraka, a town in Delta State long known for hosting Delta State University (DELSU) and its proximity to Nigeria’s oil-producing region, is gradually building a reputation as an emerging centre for science, technology, and digital education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As technology continues to reshape education and the workplace, Delta State is increasingly investing in education, innovation, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to diversify its economy. At the centre of this transformation in Abraka is Delta State University, one of the state’s leading institutions for science and technology education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The university houses faculties such as Science, Engineering, and Basic Medical Sciences, where future doctors, engineers, scientists, and technology professionals receive training. Beyond the classrooms, research in health, agriculture, and computing continues to contribute to knowledge and innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The university’s presence has also influenced everyday life in Abraka. Cybercaf\u00e9s, business centres, and printing shops remain busy with students carrying out assignments, designing documents, and accessing digital services. Technology has become an essential part of daily activities within the university community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One initiative that reflects DELSU’s commitment to digital literacy is the Microsoft Imagine Academy (MIA)<\/strong> programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Microsoft Imagine Academy class is a compulsory computer training programme for all 100-level students, regardless of their course of study. The programme is designed to equip students with essential digital skills needed for academic success and future careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many students, the programme serves as their first practical introduction to computer use. While some arrive at the university with prior knowledge of computers, others have little or no experience using laptops or productivity software. The MIA programme helps bridge this gap by ensuring that every student acquires fundamental computer skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the first semester of the 2025\/2026 academic session, students received practical training in Microsoft Word. Using projectors and hands-on demonstrations, instructors guided students through document creation, text formatting, table design, and file management while students practised on desktop computers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the second semester, the training expanded to include Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Excel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With PowerPoint, students learned how to create professional presentations using text, images, bullet points, animations, and transitions for seminars and classroom presentations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Excel introduced students to spreadsheets, enabling them to organise information into rows and columns, perform calculations using formulas, and generate charts for data analysis. Although many students initially found Excel challenging, they gradually became more confident through continuous practical exercises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on her experience, Chioma, a 100-level student, said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“On the first day, I didn’t even know how to type properly or save a file. Now, I type all my assignments myself.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many students have described the programme as one of the most practical courses offered in their first year, noting that the skills acquired extend beyond the classroom and prepare them for academic research and the modern workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the MIA course does not contribute to students’ Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA), successful completion remains compulsory. Students are required to obtain the MIA certificate as part of their 300-level screening requirements. Those who do not pass the programme in their first year are expected to retake it in their second year before they can obtain the certificate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The programme, introduced during the 2022\/2023 academic session, is conducted on the third floor of the university library. The training centre houses more than 200 functional computers in a spacious learning environment, allowing students to gain practical experience rather than relying solely on theoretical instruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As digital technology continues to shape education and employment, the Microsoft Imagine Academy programme is helping position Delta State University as an institution committed to producing graduates with essential digital competencies. For many students, the programme represents more than a compulsory course\u2014it is their first step toward becoming digitally equipped for life beyond the university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Vivian Aviara Abraka, a town in Delta State long known for hosting Delta State University (DELSU) and its proximity to Nigeria’s oil-producing region, is gradually building a reputation as an emerging centre for science, technology, and digital education. As technology continues to reshape education and the workplace, Delta State is increasingly investing in education, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1648,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"iawp_total_views":19,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,35,14],"tags":[31,47,25,110,452,451],"class_list":["post-1647","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abrakametro","category-education","category-trendingnews","tag-abraka","tag-ai","tag-delsu","tag-entrepreneurship","tag-mia","tag-tech"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1647","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1647"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1647\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1689,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1647\/revisions\/1689"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1648"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1647"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1647"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1647"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}