By Our Correspondent
Nigeria is set to open its first artificial intelligence (AI), university in Epe, Lagos, marking a significant milestone in advancing AI education across Africa.
Named Wini University, the institution aims to equip young Nigerians with advanced AI skills, addressing unemployment and positioning the continent as a hub for technological innovation.
Inspired by the first AI university in Qatar, Wini University aspires to attract top-tier academics and innovators from around the globe.
The project, initiated in 2016 by a visionary collaboration between Nigerian and Boston-based experts, has undergone years of planning, securing National Universities Commission (NUC), interest, and building stakeholder support.
Wini University is envisioned as Africa’s first AI-focused institution and the foundation for an AI-powered Silicon Valley on the continent.
It aims to foster a thriving community of academics and students passionate about leveraging AI and quantum computing to drive progress in Africa and beyond.
Beyond academics, the university seeks to transform Lagos into Africa’s innovation hub, where technology is harnessed to solve real-world challenges.
The curriculum will include cutting-edge fields such as blockchain, cloud computing, generative AI, data science, and machine learning, preparing students to lead in the global AI market.
This bold initiative underscores the growing importance of AI, echoing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 2013 declaration that dominance in AI would define the next global superpower.
