NUC Signs MoU for AI Ecosystem Across Nigerian Varsities - THISDAYLIVE
in Abuja
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Daimlas Corporation, a global leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation, to establish a comprehensive AI ecosystem across Nigerian universities.
The groundbreaking collaboration aims to empower academic institutions with cutting-edge AI resources, research opportunities, and a platform for AI-driven education.
At the official signing of the MoU in Abuja on Thursday, for the NUC AI Centre of Excellence, Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, expressed the commission’s readiness to embrace the project towards its success.
“Based on the explanation and what they say, the next four years at least. It’s enough time for us to see and review and see that we are prepared. You know, it’s very good.
“Because at times, it’s like a gauge, so to say. And when you start it, then you see that you cannot do without it. And you are prepared to pay the one-off cost.
“So I think it’s a very good thing. And we are happy that we are established already in many institutions that are well-known around the world. So I must say that we are very happy that we willingly signed this thing,” the executive secretary said.
Earlier, Joseph Wehbe, CEO of Daimlas Corporation, Princeton, New Jersey, USA, said they started the journey five years ago, and the idea is that AI is affecting every part of society and academia.
According to him, universities in the US, as well as the federal states and local governments, community colleges, and everyone else, are trying to figure out their AI strategy, and our solution is a platform that brings the ecosystem together.
He said, “In a fully functioning AI ecosystem, you have AI research centres, you have AI labs, AI for entrepreneurs, AI for kids, AI for platform companies, for small businesses. And when you bring all these ecosystems together, you have great pathways for everyone that wants to participate in the AI economy. The taxonomy of an AI ecosystem is different from an ICT ecosystem.