UNILAG, Global Consortium train Nigerian students in sustainable software development

The University of Lagos (UNILAG), in collaboration with global software engineering experts, has hosted a week-long Green and Sustainable Software Engineering Summer School to equip Nigerian students with sustainable coding skills.

The programme brought educators, researchers, and UNILAG students together to explore green software development, energy-efficient coding, and sustainable design principles.

The summer school focused on embedding sustainability principles into software engineering education and practice and building regional capacity in green software development, particularly in Nigeria and across Africa.

The event held from 5 to 9 May was organised in partnership with the Department of Computer Science at UNILAG and supported by the Afretec Network in collaboration with Software Engineers for Green Deal (SE4GD) Hub, UNILAG, and SE4GD Consortium Europe.

A major highlight of the summer school was the development of academic curricula for master’s degrees in Sustainable Software Engineering and Sustainable Computing.

Global collaboration for local impact

Jari Porras, a visiting professor from the Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT) and coordinator of the Erasmus Mundus programme, SE4GD, emphasised the importance of developing regional hubs for green software education.

Mr Porras said the goal is to create similar programmes locally that can deliver the same quality of education available in Europe.

“Sustainability is a global issue; emissions in one part of the world affect all of us. That’s why it’s essential to collaborate across borders,” he said.

He noted that the engagement from Nigerian students and faculty exceeded expectations.

“The next step is implementation. We’ve started designing, and now it’s time to build something lasting,” he said.

In his remarks, Colin Venter, an associate professor at the University of Limerick and Research Software Engineer at CERN, praised the creativity of the students and emphasised the need for African-led solutions.

Mr Venter reiterated the importance of the SE4GD initiative and its potential to elevate skills and innovation in Africa through global academic networks.

“Africa is full of Western solutions that haven’t worked. The people most affected by climate change, Africans, must lead the way in creating relevant, contextual solutions. Our role is to support, not dictate,” he said.

Redesigning curricula

An alumnus of UNILAG, Shola Oyedeji, a Finland-based expert and Postdoctoral researcher at LUT University, stressed the need for deeper stakeholder engagement between academia, government, and industry.

Mr Oyedeji urged Nigerian universities to consult with industry players to ensure graduates are both employable and future-ready.

“You can’t achieve sustainable development without quality education,” he said.

During a brief meeting with the UNILAG’s Vice Chancellor, Folashade Ogunsola, Mr Oyedeji further explained that the goal of the summer school was to prepare students and to educate the educators on how to be future-ready for sustainable software engineering in a “resource-constrained environment like Nigeria.”

Also explaining the concept of green and sustainable software engineering, Mr Venter said: “What it means to me is that when we think about green, we just think about energy consumption, we think about sustainability. So it’s about how you create software that doesn’t have a negative impact on the environment and society.”

Tools for adaptation

Birgit Penzenstadler, an associate professor at Chalmers University in Sweden, called attention to academic structural barriers that hinder interdisciplinary work.

Ms Penzenstadler’s research focuses on how software engineering can support well-being, ecological balance, and long-term social resilience.

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“Sustainability spans water, health, transport, and tech. Universities must move beyond rigid silos to address it,” she said.

She highlighted tools and frameworks developed in Europe, stressing the importance of adapting them to local contexts. “We bring ideas, but the knowledge of what works in Nigeria must come from Nigerians.”

Ongoing commitment

In his comments, Adewale Rufai, senior lecturer, Department of Computer Science, UNILAG, and convener of the programme, confirmed that this summer school builds on previous collaboration and there are plans for more.

Mr Rufai noted that the summer school is a strong example of how international partnerships, local leadership, and youth engagement can come together to shape a more sustainable future for software engineering in Africa.

“We are planning to make this initiative continuous. We hope to organise similar programmes annually and introduce masterclasses on emerging developments in sustainable software. We are also considering signing a Memorandum of Understanding to sustain this partnership,” he said.

Students were active participants, working in groups to redesign curricula and identify how sustainability could be embedded in areas like requirements engineering.

Obinna Onyedika, a final-year student and software director at UNILAG, shared how the programme has changed his outlook.

Mr Onyedika said the focus is “no longer just building apps—we’re thinking about energy usage, ethical implications, and long-term impact.”