OpenAI’s Africa Lead, Bank Of America Boss, Others To Headline UNILAG International Week

The Africa Lead at OpenAI, one of the world’s foremost artificial intelligence research and deployment companies, and owner of the famous ChatGPT, Emmanuel Lubanzadio; the Managing Director and Head of Sub-Saharan Africa at the Bank of America, Yvonne Ike; Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, and Nigerian entrepreneur and Founding Partner of Future Africa, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, are among the experts expected to grace the 2025 International Week of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Nigeria.

With the theme: Equitable Partnerships and the Future of AI in Africa, the week-long event is slated to hold from Monday, October 13 to 17, 2025, at the university’s main campus in Akoka.

Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem, Head, Communication Unit, University of Lagos, in a statement stated that the five-day programme, which will focus on artificial intelligence and global collaboration, will also be graced by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa.

It will bring together senior government officials, global development partners, academics, financiers, and technology innovators from within and outside Africa.

As panelists are Professor Diana Mitlin of the University of Manchester, who doubles as the Chief Executive Officer of African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC); Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Massimo De Luca; Professor Matthew Waritay Guah of South Carolina State University, USA, and the Acting Director, NITDA IT Hub (NItHub), Dr. Victor Odumuyiwa.

Event highlights

While the trio of Dr Tijani, Mr Lubanzadio and Ms Ike are to present keynote speeches on the theme of the programme, a session on public procurement and digital governance will feature Nigeria’s BPP boss, Dr. Adedokun, to discuss the country’s transition to digital procurement and how this reform can drive transparency, local inclusion, and innovation-led growth.

The event will also spotlight young innovators redefining Africa’s tech landscape, including Adeleke Eniola, a final-year Applied Physics student at UNILAG and creator of RiaScope—an AI-powered diagnostic tool designed to detect malaria affordably in low-resource communities.

Proudly, her work exemplifies the promise of local ingenuity in solving public health challenges through accessible technology.

Throughout the week, plenary and technical sessions will explore a wide range of topics, such as ethical AI governance, data stewardship, educational innovation, startup financing, and the digitalisation of government systems.

The convergence of diverse expertise is expected to produce actionable outcomes such as policy recommendations, academic partnerships, and investment linkages that strengthen Africa’s digital future.

Organiser’s remarks

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, said, “UNILAG is building bridges between academia, industry, and government. By bringing OpenAI and other global actors to the table this time, we aim to ensure that Africa’s engagement with technology is equitable, forward-looking, and inclusive.

“This year’s focus on equitable AI partnerships comes at a critical moment when Africa must shape its own voice and strategy in the global technology ecosystem, and it is our vision at UNILAG to make the continent future-ready,” she added.

Speaking on the significance of the event, the institution’s Director of International Relations, Partnerships and Prospects (IRPP), Ismail Ibraheem, a professor of Journalism and Communication Studies, said International Week 2025 reflects the university’s global vision and its approach to breaking partnership barriers. Professor Ibraheem, who is also the Chairman of the Planning Committee, noted that UNILAG has always been a space for knowledge exchange and international collaborations.

He emphasised that since its inception in 2019, the International Week has proven to transcend a mere ceremonial event to be recognised as a prolific platform for practical collaborations. International Week 2025 reinforces UNILAG’s longstanding tradition of international engagement.

The university continues to lead institutional partnerships with global institutions, including Nottingham Trent University, the African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC), the African Engineering and Technology (AFRETEC) Network, embassies, and development partners, among others.

These partnerships collaborate on research, mobility, and skills development programmes.