Osun state governor, Ademola Adeleke, has laid the foundation of the first tertiary institution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Africa.
The higher institution is known as Curators University, located in Modakeke, Osun state.
The governor alongside the Ogunsua of Modakeke, Oba Joseph Olubiyi, laid the foundation at the weekend.
The university is expected to offer courses in Artificial Intelligence (Machine Learning Specialisation), Computer Hardware Engineering, Data Analytics and Database Administration, Arbitration and Conflict Resolution, and 3D Printing and Polymer Science.
Represented by the Commissioner for Information, Dipo Eluwole, Adeleke stated that the establishment of the University was in line with his administration’s integral action plan to boost education in the state.
“The establishment of a university here in Modakeke is a milestone achievement, which aligns with our drive to boost the educational sector. Why congratulating you once again, I charge you to make sure that the proposed university for which the foundation will be laid today is one of the best universities in Nigeria both in academic and cultural,” Adeleke said.
The founder of Curator University, Olusola Amusan, highlighted the importance of public-private partnership to boost tertiary institutions and national development in the country.
“We expect that there are structures that we can build through public private partnerships. For the university, there are education endowment funds, there are funds of the federal government, and in the area of loans, specifically, we believe that to be able to get cutting-edge education, there’s a cost that comes to it, and sometimes it could be a premium.
“So our goal will be to support the community and all our students with those kinds of partnerships, whether private or government, that will enable them to be able to access the education that we are providing here,” Amusan said.
Earlier in his remarks the Chairman, Curator University Ground Breaking Planning Committee, Abimbola Amusan, said the vision was to transform the place into a global academic and innovation hub that will empower youth, create jobs, and spark economic growth for generations to come.
Oba Olubiyi called on sons and daughters of Modakeke to emulate the initiative of Amusan and return home to establish business.