UNILAG Kicks Off 2025 International Week Focused on AI and Equitable Global Partnerships

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) officially launched its 2025 International Week on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at the J.F. Ade. Ajayi (Main) Auditorium, Akoka, reaffirming its role as a hub for innovation, research, and international collaboration.

The week-long event carries the theme Equitable Partnerships and the Future of AI in Africa.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development Services), Professor Afolabi Lesi, FNAMed, FAMeds, welcomed guests, partners, and students, emphasizing that the success of the International Week depends on translating dialogue into practical outcomes such as joint research projects, student and staff mobility, and industry-driven innovations. He stressed UNILAG’s interdisciplinary approach to AI, noting that engineers work with linguists and clinicians with social scientists to ensure technology serves people and communities.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Folasade T. Ogunsola, OON, FAS, described the event as a gathering of minds committed to Africa’s development, urging the continent to actively participate in the AI revolution rather than remain passive consumers. She highlighted UNILAG’s achievements in research and innovation, including AI tools developed by students for African contexts and collaborative projects in nuclear engineering and medicinal plant research. She underscored that equitable partnerships must be rooted in shared growth, co-creation, and knowledge exchange across borders.

Goodwill messages were delivered by representatives of the Honourable Ministers of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, and Education, as well as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, commending UNILAG for fostering dialogue on technology, education, and sustainable development. Dr. Olubunmi Ajala, representing the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, highlighted the national fibre optic initiative connecting all 774 Local Government Areas of Nigeria, describing AI as a tool to democratize access to innovation.

Keynote presentations emphasized access and agency in AI development. Mr. Emmanuel Lubanzadio, Africa Lead at OpenAI, announced the launch of the “Open AI Academy” at UNILAG, reinforcing the importance of inclusive AI education. Yvonne Ike, Managing Director and Head of Sub-Saharan Africa at Bank of America, praised UNILAG students’ exceptional performance in talent recruitment exercises and stressed that Africa’s competitive advantage in the AI era lies in its human capital and originality. She urged the continent to actively build, deploy, and benefit from AI technologies rather than passively consume them.

A panel discussion on Equitable Partnerships and the Future of AI in Africa featured experts from Europe, the United States, and Nigeria, including Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, OON, and UNILAG researchers and students, and was moderated by Dr. Olayinka Adewunmi, Acting Director of the Innovation & Technology Management Office (ITMO).

The Opening Ceremony concluded with the presentation of awards to winners of the Health Innovation Challenge, celebrating student-led projects that apply technology to improve healthcare. Professor Ismail Ibraheem, Chairman of the International Week and Director of the Office of International Relations, Partnership and Prospects (IRPP), delivered a vote of thanks, officially marking the start of a week dedicated to advancing UNILAG’s mission of driving Africa’s digital transformation through research, partnerships, and inclusive innovation.