By Tunde Olofintila
…Vice-Chancellor commends Oniyide and team, commends Founder’s enduring vision for excellence, research and innovation
Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, has further consolidated its position on the international grid of excellence through its selection to participate in the Africa AI Upskilling Programme, an initiative supported by Google.org and implemented by FATE Foundation in collaboration with the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS).
The programme which covers Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa is designed to strengthen Artificial Intelligence capacity within African Higher Education sector by equipping lecturers, teaching assistants and students with advanced AI knowledge and practical competencies.
It also seeks to promote the responsible integration of AI into teaching, research, innovation and problem-solving across participating institutions.
A key component of the programme is the Google DeepMind AI Research Foundations Curriculum which provides participants with foundational and advanced knowledge required to understand, develop and apply Artificial Intelligence in research and other academic contexts.
ABUAD’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Elisabeta Smaranda Olarinde, expressed delight at the University’s selection, describing the development as another affirmation of ABUAD’s growing reputation for academic excellence, innovation and forward-looking education.
According to Olarinde, the opportunity represents much more than international recognition. It provides ABUAD with an important platform to deepen institutional capacity in Artificial Intelligence, strengthen research capabilities, accelerate digital transformation and stimulate interdisciplinary innovation.
She noted that the University would leverage the programme to explore responsible and impactful applications of Artificial Intelligence across disciplines including Medicine, Basic Medical Sciences, Engineering, Computing, Education, Agriculture, Management Sciences and other emerging areas of research.
The ultimate goal, she stated, is to empower academics and students to apply AI tools and methodologies in developing innovative solutions to real-world challenges confronting Nigeria and the African continent.
Olarinde congratulated the Dean of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences and ABUAD’s Institutional Lead for the programme, Dr Adesola A. Oniyide, as well as members of the University team whose commitment and collective effort contributed to ABUAD’s successful selection.
Oniyide is an Associate Professor of Human Physiology with qualifications in Medicine and Human Physiology, including an MBBS, MSc and PhD. His multidisciplinary research interests span Neuroscience, Physiology, Health Research, Artificial Intelligence and Educational Technology. He also serves as President of the ABUAD Neuroscience Research Group, an affiliate of the Society for Neuroscience and the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO).
The Vice-Chancellor also paid tribute to the visionary Founder & Chancellor of ABUAD, Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, OFR, CON, whose sustained investments in human capital, world-class infrastructure, research, innovation and an enabling academic environment have continued to position the University for significant national and international opportunities.
She observed that ABUAD’s participation in the Africa AI Upskilling Programme aligns strongly with the Founder’s philosophy of promoting academic excellence, discipline, innovation, entrepreneurship, research and service to humanity.
Olarinde charged the ABUAD team to ensure that this rare opportunity translates into measurable and sustainable institutional value through capacity building, knowledge transfer, interdisciplinary research, innovation and societal impact.
She expressed confidence that the programme would contribute significantly to developing a new generation of AI-literate lecturers, researchers and students who would not only understand emerging technologies but also deploy them responsibly in addressing some of Africa’s most pressing developmental challenges.
The Vice-Chancellor encouraged beneficiaries of the programme to serve as catalysts for wider institutional transformation by sharing acquired knowledge, mentoring colleagues and students and supporting the progressive integration of Artificial Intelligence into teaching, learning, research and innovation across the broad spectrum of the University.
ABUAD reaffirmed its commitment to remaining at the forefront of academic excellence, cutting-edge research, innovation and digital transformation, ensuring that its academics and students are equipped not merely to participate in the rapidly changing technological future, but to contribute meaningfully to shaping it.
The future is bright. The future is innovative. ABUAD is ever prepared to lead.
Olofintila is ABUAD’s Director of Corporate Affairs
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