The University of Lagos (UNILAG) re-affirmed its position as a continental hub for innovation, research, and global collaboration as the 2025 International Week formally opened on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at the J.F. Ade. Ajayi (Main) Auditorium, Akoka.
A gathering for global partnerships
Setting the tone for the week-long event, themed: “Equitable Partnerships and the Future of AI in Africa”, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development Services), Professor Afolabi Lesi, FNAMed, FAMeds, welcomed guests, partners, and students to what he described as “a gathering for building global partnerships that create shared impact.”
He explained that beyond conversations, the true test of UNILAG’s International Week lies in the follow-through: transforming dialogue into tangible outcomes such as joint research, student and staff mobility, and industry-driven projects that deliver value, both locally and globally.
“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,” he said. “At UNILAG, internationalisation, research, industry engagement, and artificial intelligence meet in a way that is purposeful, ethical, and equitable.”
Professor Lesi also highlighted the University’s evolving model of partnership, one that is built on co-design, shared standards, and evidence-driven collaboration.
“Partners choose UNILAG because capability here is matched by contextual knowledge tested in real environments,” he noted, adding that interdisciplinary teamwork and practical innovation define how UNILAG approaches artificial intelligence. “Our engineers work with linguists, our clinicians with social scientists, so that technology answers to people and places, not the other way round.”
Equitable partnerships, rooted in shared growth and co-creation
Following his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Host of the event, Professor Folasade T. Ogunsola, OON, FAS, delivered an opening address that captured the essence of the event. She described it as “a pivotal gathering of minds of purpose and vision” and stressed that Africa must not remain a passive consumer in the AI revolution.
“Artificial Intelligence is not the future; it is the present. And yet, for Africa, AI represents an opportunity to leapfrog limitations and reimagine education, healthcare, governance, and industry,” she said. “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.”
The Vice-Chancellor spotlighted UNILAG’s strides in research and innovation, citing examples from its health innovation challenge, where students developed AI tools adapted to African contexts, and partnerships in nuclear engineering and medicinal plant research. She emphasised that African universities must be “builders of contextually relevant solutions” and that true equity lies in partnerships where knowledge flows in all directions.
“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 concluded.
Goodwill Messages
Goodwill messages followed from dignitaries including the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani; the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Marufu Tunji Alausa; and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, OFR – all of whom were eminently represented.
In their remarks, they lauded UNILAG for creating a platform that promotes forward-looking dialogue around technology, education, and sustainable development. They emphasized that universities must play a leading role in equipping Africa’s young population for a future shaped by artificial intelligence and innovation.
Represented by the Director of National Centre for AI & Robotics, Dr. Olubunmi Ajala, the Hon. Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy affirmed AI as “the great equalizer which affords Africa the opportunity to leapfrog and close the gap of existing inequalities.”
He disclosed that the President Tinubu Administration has launched a national digital revolution by rolling out a fibre optic initiative which aims to band the 774 Local Government Areas of Nigeria with internet connectivity so that “access to the capacity to innovate and create value is democratised among all Nigerians.”
Keynote presentations: Access and Agency
The event also featured keynote presentations by the Africa Lead at OpenAI, Mr. Emmanuel Lubanzadio and the Managing Director and Head of Sub-Saharan Africa at Bank of America, Ms. Yvonne Ike, who both underscored the need for inclusive innovation and Africa-led AI development.
· Access to all
Brief and straight-to-the-point, Mr. Lubanzadio disclosed, to the delight of the audience, that OpenAI has partnered with the University of Lagos to launch the “Open AI Academy”, the first of its kind in Africa. He premised the decision of his organisation on the profile of UNILAG as a continental powerhouse in Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies.
He harped on the importance of access as a pragmatic way of ensuring equitable partnerships. In his words, “Truly, AI can be a great equalizer and that is why OpenAI is adamant about providing access to all.”
· High praise for UNILAG products
Ms. Ike took off on a note of appreciation for the University of Lagos as a place where boundaries are being pushed constantly, as evident in the exemplary performance of her products in the Bank of America talent recruitment system.
“I do not know what the water you drink here is made of, but I may say that your products out there are doing you proud. When they come up against students from Cambridge and Harvard, they simply shine – with no complex, no hesitation, no feeling of inferiority.”
She then linked that with the gist of her presentation, which is the fact that “the most important asset that Africa has, in the age of AI, is our mind”.
She charged Africa to look within and embrace its originality and nuances in order to be able to compete on the front foot.
“We can’t afford to be passive consumers of AI. It’s brand new. So, now is the time to develop our own competencies and participate actively in development and deployment. Our future depends not on the technology itself; it is on who builds, deploys, and benefits from it. Peer learning has not been more important. Let’s discover this technology together.”
A dynamic panel
A dynamic panel session on “Equitable Partnerships and the Future of AI in Africa” featured experts including: Mr. Massimo Deluca from the European Delegation to Nigeria; Prof. Diana Mitlin from the African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC), University of Manchester; Prof. Matthew Guah from South Carolina State University; Mr. Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, OON from Future Africa and Flutterwave; Dr. Victor Odumuyiwa from UNILAG-NITHUB, and Miss Adeleke Eniola, a UNILAG undergraduate student of Physics and start-up founder. It was moderated by Dr. Olayinka Adewunmi, Acting Director of the Innovation & Technology Management Office (ITMO), University of Lagos.
Closing
The Opening Ceremony concluded on a celebratory note with the presentation of awards to winners of the Health Innovation Challenge. For more information on the Challenge, please click: https://lagosedu.com/team-pharmacode-clinches-first-place-at-the-afretec-unilag-innovation-in-health-challenge-2025.
Chairman of the 2025 International Week and Director of the Office of International Relations, Partnership and Prospects (IRPP), Professor Ismail Ibraheem rounded off proceedings with a hearty vote of thanks, thus marking the start of a week poised to advance UNILAG’s vision of leading Africa’s digital transformation through research excellence, international partnerships, and inclusive innovation.
Report: Isaiah Kumuyi
Photography: Ayo Oloyede, Iwok Angel Idara (Student Volunteer), Olalemi Adedoyin (Student Volunteer), Gisarin Oluwatobiloba Solomon (Student Volunteer), Akindele Oluwatofiyinfun Isaac (Student Volunteer) and Sowemimo Ayomide Joshua (Student Volunteer).
