Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, Vice Chancellor of the Nigerian British University (NBU), has called for the strategic deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to address Nigeria’s rising insecurity and unemployment. Speaking after the university’s maiden inaugural lecture in Asa, Abia-Rivers border region, Fawehinmi emphasized that AI can enhance national planning, improve manufacturing precision, and create new job opportunities across sectors such as education, logistics, and aviation.

He stressed that AI could revolutionize security operations through robotics and data-driven threat detection, reducing casualties and enhancing response efficiency. Fawehinmi also praised Prof. Ekpe Okorafor—Dean of the Faculty of Computing and Information Technology—who delivered the lecture titled “Igniting African Renaissance in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”. Okorafor highlighted the importance of domesticated, culturally aware AI systems that reflect African values and stories.

Okorafor argued that while some traditional jobs may be displaced, homegrown AI would ultimately create more employment opportunities—particularly in digital storytelling, cultural preservation, and data verification—ushering in a new era of innovation rooted in Africa’s identity.

NBU is fostering this vision through the formation of an AI Club and a push to digitize its campus with e-learning and e-teaching initiatives.