AI in Education Summit Highlights Africa's Progress and Challenges in Harnessing Technology for Learning
Dr. Oluwakemi Olurinola, an educational technologist and consultant, emphasized Africa’s slow progress in artificial intelligence (AI) development during a two-day summit on AI in Education.
UBA CHIDINMA 
Dr. Oluwakemi Olurinola, an educational technologist and consultant, emphasized Africa’s slow progress in artificial intelligence (AI) development during a two-day summit on AI in Education. The event, organized by the Hub for Responsible Artificial Intelligence in Education Innovation Research Network in Africa (EduAI Hub), was held on September 24 and 25, 2024, at the Arthur Mbanefo Digital Research Centre, University of Lagos (UNILAG).
In her keynote address, titled AI in Education: Current Status, Challenges, and Future in Africa, Dr. Olurinola remarked that "AI use in Africa is still in early stages, and unfortunately, Africa’s progress is hindered by limited research and development." She outlined the potential of AI to transform education, addressing issues such as AI biases, the need for robust educational management systems (EMS), and fostering ethical AI practices across the continent.
Dr. James Wright
The summit brought together African researchers and innovators to discuss the scalability of AI-driven educational solutions. The fully-packed event showcased projects from eight AI in Education sub-grantees across Africa, while experts presented on key topics such as AI ethics, product scalability, and research commercialization.
Prof. Taiwo Asekun
Among the notable presentations were those by Dr. James Wright of UNESCO’s Ethics of AI unit, who discussed the global guidelines for AI ethics in education, and Dr. Obichi Obiajunwa, founding partner at Hutzpa Innovations, who outlined strategies for scaling AI products in the sector. Dr. Gbeminiyi Sobamowo from UNILAG’s Department of Mechanical Engineering further provided insights on funding and commercialization of research.
EduAI Hub’s Principal Investigator, Dr. Oladipupo Sennaike, along with Dr. Lois Ochanda of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and Prof. Taiwo Asekun, Dean of the Faculty of Science at UNILAG, delivered remarks supporting the event’s focus on AI-driven educational innovations.
EduAI Hub, a collaboration involving UNILAG, Université d’Abomey Calavi in Benin Republic, and Data Science Nigeria (DSN), aims to foster responsible AI innovations to improve education across Africa.
