The University of Lagos (UNILAG) hosted the 5th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (MIRG-ICAIR 2025) from November 4 to 6, 2025, cementing its position at the forefront of AI innovation in Nigeria and across Africa.
The 3-day conference, organised by the Machine Intelligence Research Group (MIRG), in collaboration with the NITDA Information Technology Hub (NITHub) and Nigeria Artificial Intelligence Lab (NAIL), served as a critical platform for academics, policymakers, innovators, and industry partners to explore the theme: Building Sustainable AI-Driven Digital Transformation Infrastructure for African Economies.
Held at the Jelili Omotola Multipurpose Hall, ICAIR 2025 showcased how UNILAG is taking the lead in AI adoption, innovation, and deployment among Nigerian tertiary institutions.
UNILAG’s Strategic Ascent: The Machine Intelligence Research Group (MIRG)
At the core of UNILAG’s rapidly growing reputation in the AI space is the Machine Intelligence Research Group (MIRG), led by its Chairman, Dr. Victor Odumuyiwa, an Associate Professor and AI specialist at the Department of Computer Science, UNILAG. The group’s work, which aims to define “AI for Africa” through indigenous, problem-solving research, was the driving force behind the conference.
Reinforcing the university’s commitment, the event witnessed the announcement of major strategic institutional changes:
- New AI Department: The University of Lagos signaled a significant step by announcing the creation of a dedicated Department of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, situated in the newly created Faculty of Computing and Informatics.
- Innovation Ecosystem: The Vice-Chancellor’s address, which was delivered by her representative and Director of Quality Assurance – Professor Olufemi Saibu – highlighted the launch of the Open AI Academy for Africa and the practical UNIPOD AI Laboratory, both situated at the University of Lagos, as strong signals of the university’s determination to ride the AI wave to becoming the globally recognised go-to place in Africa for AI research, development, and deployment.
Localised Innovations Shine Bright
ICAIR 2025 featured paper presentations, fireside chats, and industry talks which provided compelling evidence of localised solutions with immediate impact:
- Saving Lives with AI: A startup, NeoBlankey showcased their AI-powered neonatal blanket, designed to monitor and assist premature babies, offering a crucial technology for African healthcare systems.
- The Nigerian Voice: A fireside chat detailed the creation of YarnGPT, an open-source Text-to-Speech (TTS) model specifically built for Nigerian accents and local languages. This innovation is overcoming long-standing challenges in dialect representation and data scarcity.
- Future Mobility for Africa: A masterclass by JEGO Technologies focused on the development of Autonomous Pods, engineered specifically for African roads. The plan includes leveraging locally-developed perception models and aiming for a target cost below $50,000 using 2.5MWh clean-energy systems.
- Language Research: Cutting-edge academic research presented models like AfroLID (a language identification model covering over 500 African languages) and the Serengeti & Cheetah African-trained language models.
Policy and Partnership: Government Backing for the AI Vision
ICAIR 2025 served as a critical convergence point for policy and industry, highlighting a collaborative push for digital transformation.
The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE), registered its presence very strongly at the conference. In his dual capacity as representative of the Honourable Minister for Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, and Director of the National Centre for AI and Robotics, Dr. Bunmi Ajala delivered the first keynote address of the conference. He pointed out efforts being made by the Federal Government to chart Nigeria’s AI future by building a national framework for responsible and inclusive Artificial Intelligence.
According to him, these efforts include the ongoing 90,000km fibre cable expansion across the country, the launch of the N-ATLAS multilingual AI model, and federal investments in GPU capacity and research grants for AI development.
Dr. Ajala singled out the University of Lagos for praise in the evolution and rapid development of AI in Nigeria. Speaking with newsmen shortly after his keynote presentation, Dr. Ajala said, “If you look at our AI National Strategy, among the top personnel that are driving it are UNILAG talents like Dr. Victor Odumuyiwa here. You could see, clearly, that UNILAG was the place of choice when OpenAI was making the decision of where to site its first OpenAI Academy in Africa. Add to that the establishment of the AI UniPod by the UNDP that will soon be launched and you will see testimonies to the strides of UNILAG in the realm of AI. So, in terms of capacity development, research and innovation, entrepreneurial development, UNILAG has been a key player in the Nigerian ecosystem.”
The Lagos State Government was also visibly present at ICAIR 2025, represented by the Commissioner for Innovation, Science & Technology, Hon. Olatubosun Alake.
Delivering the second keynote address of the conference, the Commissioner emphasised the State’s integration of AI into secondary education and public service digitisation as well as the pending Lagos Innovation Bill. He highlighted UNILAG as the largest beneficiary of the Lagos State Research and Innovaton Council (LASRIC) research funding, confirming the university’s strategic importance to the State’s tech ambitions.
Industry Participation
Industry partners and sponsors of the conference were on ground to showcase their solutions, thus demonstrating the many great effects to which AI has been deployed in Nigeria. Moniepoint showcased enterprise solutions, including their AI chatbot designed to serve Nigeria’s vast informal sector, while MainOne/Equinix discussed infrastructure crucial for powering the continent’s AI models.
Hands-On Training: The UNIPOD Challenge
The conference concluded with the highly anticipated UNIPOD Challenge, held in the new UNIPOD AI Laboratory. This session provided students with a transformative, hands-on opportunity to engage directly with robotics kits, sensors, and AI tools, bridging the gap between classroom theory and practical, real-world application. The selective tour and mentorship sessions ensured the next generation is not just reading about AI, but actively building it.
Cocktail, Connection, and Closing
It was a fitting end to the three-day knowledge marathon as organisers and participants gathered at the Jelili Omotola Multipurpose Halls to unwind and celebrate what was a raving conference. In a light environment of camaraderie, games were played, connections made, and awards were given to deserving participants and volunteers.
In his brief remarks, Chairman of the MIRG and lead host of the Conference, Dr. Victor Odumuyiwa, expressed profound gratitude to the members of the research group: Dr. Ebun Fasina, Dr. Babatunde Sawyer, Dr. Oladipupo Sennaike, Dr. Chika Yinka-Banjo, Dr. Femi Alamu, Dr. Solomon Akinboro, Dr. Adewole Rufai, Dr. Lucky Ikuvwerha, Dr. Doyin Afolabi and Dr. Chika Ojiako. He thanked volunteers for their selflessness; sponsors and partners for their generosity, and the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, for her visionary leadership, which has put University of Lagos on the front foot of discussions that concern emerging technologies innovation, adoption and deployment in Africa.
A true Knowledge Fest
Three (3) Master-classes, Five (5) Panel Sessions, Seven (7) Keynote Addresses, and Sixteen (16) Research Paper Presentations defined the Buffet-for-the-Mind that MIRG-ICAIR 2025 was for all participants. Many Poster Presentations also dotted the hallway to the main venue, affirming the serious dedication of the organisers to the mission of promoting and popularising the application knowledge of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Robotics.
It was a true Knowledge Fest, where ideas shone brightly, innovations stood out for the genius that they were, and participants – a sizeable number of who came from outside Lagos and Nigeria – gratefully admitted to having “light bulb moments”.
On ground to emcee the event was the vibrant Isaiah Kumuyi, a Senior Assistant Registrar (New Media & Publicity) from the Communication Unit, University of Lagos, whose blend of humorous vibes and reflective insights seamlessly guided the flow of the conference.
Report: Isaiah Kumuyi
Photography: MIRG-ICAIR 2025 & NitHUB Media
