Ogun Librarians Train On AI Literacy, Vibe Coding, WebApp Development

The Ogun State Library Services Board in conjunction with Tintol Business Services has organised A-Day Workshop for Librarians, Administrators and Information Science Practitioners across the Nation on Artificial intelligence (AI) Literacy, Vibe Coding and Webapp Development.

Speaking in Abeokuta while declaring the 3 Days Workshop open, the State Head of Service, Mr. Olanrewaju Saka commended the administration of Prince Dapo Abiodun for deliberately transforming the six state libraries in Abeokuta, Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu, Ikenne, Ilaro and Ota from analogue reading rooms to ICT-driven, e-libraries with print, soft and internet facilities, linked by fibre-optic and digitised to global standards.

Mr. Saka said the recent digitalisation of over 7,250 materials in library servers into online Public Access Catalogue by the state government was a reflection of the commitment of Governor Abiodun’s administration towards ensuring technological driven library services.

The Head of Service highlighted some of the transformational milestones of the state government on education to include, Ogun State Education Revitalization Agenda (OGSERA), which brought all learners, teachers and schools into one digital platform, Ogun Learning Enhancement and Academic Resource Network (OgunLEARN), the second to none AI-powered digital learning platform in the country.

Olanrewaju Saka, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Community Development and Cooperatives, Mr. Abdullateef Benson also mentioned the Learners Identification Number (LIN) as a pragmatic move by the current administration in the state to curb examination malpractices, indiscipline and truancy, expressing his pride that the initiative has now been adopted by the Federal Government as the Examination Learner Identification Number (ELIN).

“I want to urge the participants to maximise the opportunities of the workshop to enhance their capacity, as I assure you that the state government will continue to invest in upskilling our workforce,” Saka noted.

In his address, the State Commissioner for Education Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu acknowledged the future of the library as being intelligent, innovative, accessible and people-centred, hoping that the three days would equip the participants with the new knowledge, practical skills and renewed enthusiasm to contribute to the digital transformation of the library and information profession in the State.

Prof. Arigbabu is represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Dr. Lukmon Kiadese noted that librarians are increasingly becoming a digital information manager, knowledge facilitator, technology user, researcher and innovation partners, hence the need to train them and other administrators that emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, Vibe Coding and Web Application Development is not merely desirable, but a strategic necessity.

“Artificial Intelligence presents enormous opportunities for the library and information profession. AI can support librarians in areas such as information discovery, research assistance, data analysis, content organization, reference services, user engagement, knowledge management, and automation of routine tasks,” Arigbabu stated.

In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Mrs Oluwatosin Oloko enjoined participants to use technology responsibly, ethically and professionally, warning that AI should not replace human judgement, professional integrity or accountability, rather, it should serve as a powerful assistant that enables people to work smarter, faster and more effectively.

Mrs. Oloko applauds the initiative of the state Library Board in conjunction with the TINTOL Business Consult & Educational Management Services to make the programme possible, noting that “for librarians and information practitioners, AI can support activities such as information retrieval, research assistance, cataloguing, classification, metadata generation, reference services, digitization, content discovery and knowledge management.”

Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Director of Ogun State Library Board, Mr. Vicent Giwa affirmed that the Global emphasis is shifting from paper literacy to digital literacy, from storage to creation, from lending books to building skills, acknowledging that the Global wind of digital transformation is now being demonstrated in the Library Board through the intervention of the Governor.

Mr. Giwa intimated that the milestone of the present administration in the library services are, moving from catalogue to cloud, building a unified Library Eco System, establishing Hardware and Digital Infrastructure, as well as building of Digital Repositories.

The Executive Director therefore affirmed that through the three days workshop on AI Literacy and Vibe Coding, the librarians in the State would be adequately taught to be AI literate, learn to code with natural language, build Web apps that can automate lending, recommend books, and thereby serve the users better.

In his submission, the National Chairman of Nigeria Library Association represented by his vice, Dr. S. Olawepo urged the trainees to see the training as a call to upgrade, innovate, and lead, appreciating the facilitators for commitment towards sharing their expertise that is capable of building the capacities of the librarians.

In his presentation, the lead facilitator, Mr. S. B Omotosho, who led a team of 13 Facilitators to the practical hands-on AI and Vibe coding workshop, said anyone can become a WebApp developer if they are keen to hone their skills in that regards.

Mr. Omotosho added that as a university registrar, he does not possess any strong background or qualifications in Information Technology, but today, he is strongly in the business of providing I.T solutions to all and sundry.