Despite the emerging adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in Nigerian tertiary institutions marked by pockets of excellence amid general underdevelopment, the field is witnessing a significant shift from theoretical discussion to active implementation, says Olatunji Sunday Olusanya, a professor of AI and dean of the faculty of computing at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA), Nigeria.

Olusanya explained to University World News that some Nigerian universities, including AAUA, the University of Lagos, Nile University and Nasarawa State University, have integrated artificial intelligence into their curricula by creating academic departments, as well as establishing AI laboratories and literacy courses for students and staff.

“However, this development is not yet the norm. Findings from other institutions indicate that AI integration in university administration and lectureship remains low to moderate, often limited to basic tools like chatbots or data analysis.

Ethiopia is set to embark on an ambitious plan starting in 2026 to launch an artificial intelligence (AI) university, aiming to become a hub for Ethiopian and African students who want to acquire competence in this emerging technology.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the creation of the university on 3 February during a session of the House of Peoples’ Representatives, the lower chamber of Ethiopia’s bicameral parliament. He said the university will open in 2027, the online newspaper Addis Standard reported.

In a speech on 14 February during an African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ahmed said: “We are preparing to launch an AI university anchored in the Ethiopian concept of medemer – synergy through purposeful collaboration. This institution will unite human values with machine intelligence, and local context with global relevance and scientific vigour.

The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Aisha Garba, has disclosed that the newly introduced HOPE-EDU programme is anchored on a performance-based financing model designed to expand access to basic education and significantly reduce the number of out-of-school children.

Garba explained that under the model, the World Bank would provide incentive rewards to states only after verifiable results are achieved, meaning that funding would be tied directly to measurable progress in returning children to school.

She spoke in Kano at the opening of a two-day sensitisation programme on the implementation of HOPE-EDU.The intervention, funded by the World Bank and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), is being implemented in collaboration with State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs).

The Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities (COPSUN) has called on the leadership of Nigerian institutions to establish Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Governance Committees to guide the responsible adoption of AI in university administration.

Rising from its eighth Biennial Conference in Kano State, the group urged universities to constitute committees specifically tasked with promoting the effective deployment of AI and digital governance across their operations.

In a statement by its Chairman, Prof. Ayodeji Omole, the committee also advised institutions to develop digital integrity strategies covering finance, academic processes, and data protection to strengthen internal controls and safeguard information.

The Federal Government and the World Bank have restructured the $500m HOPE for Quality Basic Education for All programme, cutting funding allocations tied to the construction of new classrooms while expanding the number of states eligible for targeted interventions under the project.

Details of the restructuring were contained in a World Bank restructuring paper dated May 20, 2026, and obtained from the bank’s website on Thursday. The document showed that the allocation for the creation of 13,000 new classrooms under the programme was significantly reduced following changes in grant financing from the Global Partnership for Education.

The World Bank said the restructuring was necessitated by a sharp reduction in Nigeria’s GPE System Transformation Grant allocation. According to the report, “These changes stem from a reduction in the total allocation for Nigeria’s GPE STG funding from $107.59m to $53.975m.”

The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) has called on the Federal Government and education intervention agencies to prioritise the deployment of Artificial Intelligence-powered classrooms across polytechnics and colleges of technology nationwide.

The association specifically urged the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and the Council of Heads of Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology in Nigeria (COHEADS) to include the EDON Digital Classroom Initiative in future intervention programmes.

Speaking during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, NAPS President, Eshiofune Paul Oghayan, said Nigeria’s polytechnic education system must embrace modern digital technologies to remain globally competitive.

The new Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Lokoja, Professor Gbenga Ibileye, has disclosed that a total of N3 billion Tertiary Education Trust Fund TETFund intervention has been secured for the establishment of a Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Cyber Sciences.

Professor Ibileye made this known while speaking during the 100-day celebration in office at the permanent site of institution, Felele in Lokoja yesterday. The Vice Chancellor noted that during the period under review, the Institution has achieved a lot, vowing to continue to maintain high academic standard among Nigerian universities.

He explained the Centre positions the university at the frontier of the technologies reshaping the global economy and will serve as a hub for advanced research, postgraduate training and high-value skills development for the institution and the wider region.

With the Middle East and Africa’s industrial robotics market projected to reach $4.29 billion by 2030, driven by rising automation across manufacturing, agriculture, and logistics, the Louis Awode Foundation has launched a nationwide initiative aimed at preparing children for the emerging digital economy through robotics, coding, entrepreneurship, and technology education.

Building on a recent Ogun State outreach that reached nearly 1,800 pupils and students, with more than 460 participants completing structured hands-on technology training, the foundation said it plans to scale the programme to over 20,000 children nationwide through school-based technology hubs, mentorship programmes, and robotics competitions.

The initiative comes amid growing concerns that Africa’s fast-expanding technology sector could widen inequality if young people in underserved communities are excluded from early digital skills development.

The Ministry of Education and Google for Education have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to drive modern education delivery. The strategic agreement marks a major step in Ghana’s drive to modernise education through the integration of advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies into teaching and learning across the country.

The partnership is expected to strengthen digital literacy, build the capacity of teachers and promote innovation in classrooms. It is also expected to equip Ghanaian students with critical 21st-Century skills needed to thrive in an increasingly technology-driven global economy.

Speaking after the signing, the Minister of Education, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, described the collaboration as a transformative milestone that reinforced the government’s commitment to leveraging technology, innovation and strategic global partnerships to improve educational outcomes and prepare Ghanaian learners for the future of work.

The Ministry of Education and the Cambridge University Press & Assessment (Cambridge) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore closer collaboration on strengthening the country’s education system.

The MoU provides a practical framework to support Ghana’s education reform agenda through targeted, collaborative initiatives. They include system analysis, curriculum and assessment strengthening, teacher professional development, and the integration of cross-cutting priorities such as climate education and artificial intelligence (AI).

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, and the Managing Director of the Partnership for Education at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, Jane Mann, signed for their respective institutions. The MoU, which was signed at the Education World Forum 2026 in London, sets out plans to look at joint work to analyse the education system, strengthen the curriculum, and support teacher professional development.

OPay, in partnership with Google, is expanding its N1.2bn scholarship programme to include an Innovation Challenge. The fintech company has officially opened applications for the 2026 edition of the programme, now called OPay Scholars, continuing its N1.2bn, 10-year commitment to supporting education across Nigeria.

The expansion is designed to empower students with practical skills, encourage problem-solving, and prepare them for real-world opportunities. In a first-of-its-kind initiative in Nigeria’s corporate landscape, OPay is going beyond traditional scholarship support by combining financial aid, technical skills training, innovation development, and career pathways into one programme.

Applications for the Innovation Challenge will run from 25 May to 14 June 2026. Students in tertiary institutions across Nigeria can apply as a team of five students via the company’s registration portal.

The International Forum of Inclusion Practitioners (IFIP) has pledged support for the inclusion of impoverished and autistic learners in Nigeria’s education system, beginning with Lagos State. Speaking at a press briefing ahead of the National Inclusion Practitioners Conference scheduled for May 29 and 30, the President of IFIP, Daniel Sobels, noted that inclusion remains a top priority in Nigeria’s educational development.

He said: “The International Forum of Inclusion Practitioners is dedicated to capturing and sharing best practices and inclusion from around the world, and by inclusion we mean children who may struggle with neurological issues, we’ve heard of dyslexia, autism, but actually there’s a very broad spectrum, children who may be challenged with impoverishment from poorer backgrounds, mental health, social, and even gifted students who don’t necessarily have opportunities.”

According to him, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa’s “No Child Left Behind” vision aligns with the objectives of the conference, which aims to celebrate and support government efforts toward inclusive education.