Design and Prototype of a Smart Campus Navigation System for a University in Kwara State

New students and visitors to large university campuses in Kwara State face orientation challenges that contribute to inefficiency and frustration in accessing academic and administrative facilities. This study presents the design and prototype implementation of a smart campus navigation system for a university in Ilorin, Kwara State, North Central Nigeria. The system consists of a Flutter-based mobile application integrated with a custom mapping backend, QR code-based indoor navigation markers, and a web-based administrative interface for facility data management. Campus map data were captured using GPS surveys and structured interviews with university facility officers. Indoor QR code markers were placed at 45 locations across eight major campus buildings. The prototype was evaluated over three weeks with 60 participants including freshmen, postgraduate students, and administrative staff. Navigation task success rate was 89 percent, and mean time to locate a target facility decreased from 6.8 minutes (unaided) to 2.4 minutes (system-assisted). User satisfaction was rated 4.0 out of 5.0. Identified limitations include GPS signal degradation inside large lecture theatres and the need for more comprehensive indoor marker coverage. The study recommends the university adopt the system for official deployment at the start of the next academic year, with integration into the university's existing student mobile portal and augmentation with offline map caching.

Keywords: campus navigation, smart campus, Kwara State, mobile application, indoor navigation