OpenAI has selected the University of Lagos (UNILAG) as the home of its first-ever Artificial Intelligence academy in Africa, solidifying the institution’s growing reputation as a continental hub for innovation, research, and global collaboration.
The announcement was made during the opening ceremony of UNILAG’s 2025 International Week, themed “Equitable Partnerships and the Future of AI in Africa,” held in Akoka, Lagos. The event brought together academics, innovators, government officials, and industry leaders from across the world to explore how global cooperation can accelerate inclusive technological growth on the continent.
Professor Afolabi Lesi, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development Services), described the International Week as a gathering aimed at building global partnerships that create shared impact.
“We are here to move from intent to results that can be seen and felt by our faculty, our students, our communities, and our nations. At UNILAG, internationalisation, research, industry engagement, and artificial intelligence meet in a way that is purposeful, ethical, and equitable,” Lesi said.
He explained that UNILAG’s partnership model is founded on co-design and shared standards. “Partners choose UNILAG because capability here is matched by contextual knowledge tested in real environments. Our engineers work with linguists, our clinicians with social scientists, so that technology answers to people and places, not the other way round,” he added.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Folasade T. Ogunsola described the event as a pivotal gathering of minds of purpose and vision. “Artificial Intelligence is not the future; it is the present. For Africa, AI represents an opportunity to leapfrog limitations and reimagine education, healthcare, governance, and industry. But for AI to truly serve Africa, the foundation must be equitable partnerships, rooted not in charity, but in shared growth, mutual respect, and co-creation,” she said.
Citing UNILAG’s ongoing research initiatives, Ogunsola noted the university’s health innovation challenge, nuclear engineering collaborations, and medicinal plant research as evidence of locally relevant innovation.
“The future of AI is not in Silicon Valley alone; it is in Lagos, Nairobi, Kigali, Accra, Cairo, and Johannesburg, in the minds of young Africans who dare to dream, build, and lead,” she stated to applause.
The highlight of the event came when Emmanuel Lubanzadio, Africa Lead at OpenAI, announced the launch of the OpenAI Academy at UNILAG, the first of its kind on the continent.
“Truly, AI can be a great equaliser, and that is why OpenAI is adamant about providing access to all. We are excited to partner with an institution that believes in using technology to answer real human needs. The OpenAI Academy will nurture African talent and ensure that innovation isn’t concentrated in a few hands, but democratised across communities,” Lubanzadio said.
His announcement drew enthusiastic applause from students, academics, and tech innovators, marking a major leap in positioning Nigeria as a key player in AI education and research.
In his goodwill message, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, praised UNILAG for taking a leadership role in shaping the country’s AI future. Represented by Dr Olubunmi Ajala, Director of the National Centre for AI & Robotics, he described artificial intelligence as “the great equaliser, which affords Africa the opportunity to close the gap of existing inequalities.”
Tijani also revealed that the Tinubu administration has launched a national fibre optic initiative to connect all 774 local government areas with high-speed internet, ensuring that innovation and digital opportunities reach every Nigerian. “Access to the capacity to innovate and create value must be democratised among all Nigerians,” he said.
Adding a private-sector perspective, Ms Yvonne Ike, Managing Director and Head of Sub-Saharan Africa at Bank of America, lauded UNILAG for producing globally competitive graduates. “I don’t know what the water you drink here is made of, but your products are doing you proud. When they come up against students from Cambridge or Harvard, they shine, no complex, no hesitation,” she said.
She added that Africa’s greatest asset in the AI era lies in its people. “Our future doesn’t depend on the technology itself. It depends on who builds, deploys, and benefits from it,” Ike stated.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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