Igbinedion University Hosts Landmark AI Summit; Charts Ethical Path for African Higher Education

Nigeria's leading private University, Igbinedion University Okada (IUO), successfully convened a one-day AI summit on Thursday, February 19, 2026, bringing together academics, industry experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to explore the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence in Africa's higher education landscape.

The event, held at the University Library Conference Hall, themed: ”AI Dynamics and Ethical Considerations in Higher Education: The Global Shift and Africa's Reality.” focused on harnessing AI's transformative power to improving teaching, learning, research, and administration while confronting region-specific challenges such as data bias, limited infrastructure, accessibility gaps, cultural relevance, and ethical governance.

In his keynote remarks, Prof. Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonye, Vice-Chancellor of Igbinedion University Okada and a Fellow of the Academy of Science (FAS), emphasized AI's potential to revolutionize personalized education. “AI can tailor learning experiences to students from diverse backgrounds, making education more inclusive and effective,” he stated. However, he cautioned against hasty implementation, stressing the necessity of strong ethical frameworks to safeguard data privacy and counteract algorithmic biases that disproportionately affect African contexts.

Dr. Darlington Onyeagoro, an AI strategist and panelist, spotlighted AI's role in bridging the employability gap. He advocated for AI-powered skill-matching tools and virtual training platforms to better prepare graduates for the job market. Dr. Onyeagoro called on African universities to prioritize investment in indigenous AI infrastructure, reducing reliance on foreign systems and stimulating local tech innovation and employment opportunities.

Adding depth to the discourse on academic integrity, Dr. Noel Biodun Saliu, a former Deputy Executive Secretary (Academics) at the National Universities Commission (NUC), addressed the double-edged nature of generative AI tools. While acknowledging their value in supporting research and drafting, he warned of risks to scholarly standards. “Institutions must deploy reliable detection mechanisms and integrate comprehensive ethical training,” Dr. Saliu urged. He further highlighted the importance of developing context-specific AI models that honor Africa's indigenous knowledge systems and avoid cultural misalignment.

Throughout the summit, panel discussions and an interactive question-and-answer session examined AI's applications in curriculum design, research acceleration, administrative streamlining, and institutional efficiency. Participants expressed broad consensus on the need for strict ethical guardrails to prevent issues like misinformation, inequitable access, and the widening of existing digital divides.

A key resolution emerging from the deliberations was IUO's formal commitment — alongside calls for broader adoption across African institutions — to integrate AI technologies only within robust ethical frameworks. The summit positioned Nigerian and African universities as proactive participants in the global AI transition, aiming to ensure advancements that promote inclusive development rather than deepen inequalities.

The event drew praise for its timely focus on balancing innovation with responsibility in an era of rapid technological change. Some of the participants during the discussions noted that collaborative policies between academia, government, and industry will be essential to realizing AI's full benefits for Africa's higher education sector.

Igbinedion University Okada continues to lead conversations on forward-looking education reforms, reinforcing its status as a pioneer among private institutions in Nigeria.