Nigeria’s Premier AI University Might Signal A Change in Fortune

One of the great tragedies of Nigeria is that the country is never not late to catch up on technological trends and developments. This is largely due to widespread bad governance, a system of stifling bureaucracy, old, doddering leaders, and a festering education system. The private sector, especially the country’s tech ecosystem, has sought to temper the effects of this pattern. And in the past decade, it has gained significant momentum. The tech industry in Nigeria, whilst still trailing behind its counterparts in the developed world, is now a veritable force within Africa. The advent of Nigeria’s first artificial intelligence university, however, signals a reversal of this pattern of lethargy toward innovation. Wini Group, a software solutions firm based in Nigeria, has announced plans to build the first Nigerian university dedicated to training students in the field of Artificial Intelligence. The school is scheduled to open in Epe and the company has cited their motivations as being born from an effort to further the field of A. I in Africa. 

The applications of artificial intelligence cut across virtually every area of human life. From agriculture, where AI drones capable of pest elimination and automatic harvesters are increasingly being deployed, to entertainment, where AI-curated feeds and content have become a mainstay. And so, Wini University presents an opportunity for Nigeria to tap into an endless sea of possibilities. Especially given that globally, the demand for talent versed in A.I field outstrips the supply of talent. Deep Learning engineers in the U.S. earn an average of $141,435 and computer vision engineers earn in the range of $170, 000, a significant distance from the $50,000 national average. Across Europe and the rest of the developed world, the situation is similar. Also, there are only a handful of dedicated A.I universities in the world, The Qatar Computing Research Institute is the foremost example. These point to the university’s potential to bolster Lagos’ position as a global tech hub, and attract foreign investment and expertise while bringing development to Epe.

As beguiling as this vision seems, some profound concerns subsist. The field of AI, as we know it today, is still in its infancy, reminiscent of the dawn of the internet in the 90s. As it is with most new tech developments, self-serving businesses across the globe have cursorily slapped the AI tag on generic products and services to bolster their commercial prospects. This makes one wonder if this AI university is an attempt at furthering innovation, or simply a confection to drum up excitement around something that is run-of-the-mill. There’s also the question of how the presumably cutting-edge courses that will be offered at the university would work within the rubric provided by Nigeria’s stilted and rusty education board. According to the press release from Wini Group, the university has received approval from the NUC. But would the NUC approve a course on generative music creation or AI-based film upscaling? Whatever the case may be, the mere prospect of the university kindles hope that Nigeria’s age-old lassitude towards technological advancement might witness a reversal in fortune.