The Federal Government has launched a plagiarism detection software, called ‘EagleScan’.
Launching the Software in Abuja on Tuesday, Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo stated that plagiarism is a form of corruption and described the act as stealing of intellectual properties of others.
Prof. Osinbajo who was the Special Guest at the public presentation and launch of the Eagle Scan Plagiarism Detection Software, said “it is an initiative that announces the zero tolerance for plagiarism and part of the core mandates of President Muhammadu Buhari Administration”.
The event was coordinated by the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU).
Osibanjo added, “Let me also say that the government will give all that is needed to ensure that anti-plagiarism measures are instituted across the country.”
In his address, minister of education Adamu Adamu, commended the development, and noted that it will improve the quality of learning across institutions in the country.
Abubakar Rasheed, executive secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), in his remarks, emphasised the need to institutionalise an anti-plagiarism policy in all higher institutions.
“Having the software is one aspect of the battle against plagiarism. Universities must take concrete steps to institutionalise anti-plagiarism policy that forbids all aspects of the intellectual theft,” NAN quoted him to have said.
“For so long, the issues of plagiarism, among others, such as copyright as well as abuses of infringement have robbed our universities of the much desired integrity.”
Similarly, Sandy Onor, chairman of the occasion and deputy chairman, senate committee on higher education, said the software will build authenticity as it relates to research efforts.
“The EagleScan plagiarism detection software integrates global open source and closed source repositories, local open education repositories, and allows users to validate title abstracts and generate originality report,” he said.
