At the launch of ToriAI, a Nigerian newsroom automation platform, Professor Abiodun Musa Aibinu, Vice-Chancellor of Summit University, Offa, delivered a call for a total rethink of how the country approaches artificial intelligence (AI) and education.
Speaking during a panel session at the launch, which took place at the AI & Media Sustainability and Democracy Conference today, October 8, 2025, in Lagos, Prof. Aibinu warned that Nigeria’s dream of becoming a competitive AI nation will remain unrealized unless the country tackles the deeper cultural and educational challenges that hinder innovation.
“We need a mindset change to be successful in Nigeria, and Africa by extension,” he said. “In the education space, we must shift from letting our worst teach the rest, to letting the best teach the rest. This is a policy problem we must fix.”
The panel also featured Prof. Suleiman Yar’Adua, a MacArthur Foundation Fellow at Bayero University, Kano, and Dr Olusola Ayoola, Founder of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Nigeria.
The event, held at BON Hotel, Ikeja GRA, was organized by the New Thoughts Media Support Foundation (formerly Civic Media Lab) and marked the official unveiling of ToriAI, a homegrown AI platform designed to enhance newsroom efficiency, multilingual reporting, and inclusive storytelling.
Who is Professor Abiodun Musa Aibinu?
Abiodun Musa Aibinu (Ph.D.) is an engineer and educator with over 18 years of professional experience spanning Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Robotics, Mechatronics Engineering, Telecommunications, Project Management, Spectrum Management, Industrial Automation, and Artificial Intelligence research.
He obtained a National Diploma from The Polytechnic, Ibadan, a B.Sc. degree from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), an M.Sc. degree from Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH), Sweden, and a Doctoral degree from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).
Before entering academia, Prof. Aibinu worked in Nigeria’s private sector with top firms including MTN Communications, GS Telecom, DCC Satellite and Networks, Oganla Consulting and Investment Limited, and Communications Associates (COMSAC).
He has served as Professor of Mechatronics Engineering at the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, where he held multiple leadership positions such as:
- Chairman, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Challenge (2020)
- Coordinator, Advanced Engineering Innovation Research Group (2013–2015)
- Director, Centre for Open Distance and e-Learning (2014–2022)
- Head of Department, Mechatronics Engineering (2014–2022)
He is also the pioneer and coordinator of the Advanced Engineering Innovation Research Group (AEIRG), which in 2016 responded to global calls for research proposals worth an estimated $1.3 million.
A registered engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Prof. Aibinu has won several research awards and grants, including:
- Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Research Grants (2014, 2015)
- TETFUND Research Grant (2013)
- IIUM Malaysia Best Teacher Award Nomination (2012)
He has also served as a research resource person to the Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Army, and National Defence Headquarters, among others.
About Summit University
Founded in 2015 by the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Summit University, Offa has carved out a reputation as one of Nigeria’s youngest yet most forward-thinking private universities.
Since his appointment as Vice-Chancellor of Summit University, Offa, Prof. Aibinu has steered the institution toward a clear technology-driven future.
In 2025, Summit University inaugurated the Kola Balogun College of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Engineering (KBCOAIDE), a state-of-the-art facility donated by MOMAS Group, featuring drone technology labs, digital fabrication studios, and PCB production units.
The initiative is part of Prof. Aibinu’s vision to make Summit University a national hub for robotics, unmanned systems, and AI innovation, aligning academia with Nigeria’s industrial and defense sectors.
Under his leadership, Summit has also hosted events such as IndabaX Nigeria 2025, an extension of Africa’s largest AI research community, and TEDx Summit University Offa, both designed to nurture student creativity and digital literacy.
A Call for Collaboration and Reform
Prof. Aibinu argued that AI advancement cannot thrive in isolation, stressing that the ecosystem demands active collaboration between industry, academia, government, and society.
“Also, we must ensure that industry, academia, government, and society must shake hands. This will bring research, funding, interest and commercialisation under one roof for good use of development.”
Experts say Prof. Aibinu’s intervention reflects a broader conversation in Nigeria’s tech ecosystem, one that sees universities not just as teaching centers but as innovation engines capable of driving homegrown solutions to African problems.
Nigeria’s AI Future
Nigeria’s AI discourse is accelerating. Local startups are building chatbots, data analytics tools, and media automation systems like ToriAI, while global giants such as Google and Meta are investing in AI research in Africa.
Industry leaders say the country’s next challenge is building an enabling environment, one that rewards research, data ethics, and commercialization.
Nigeria’s AI market is projected to hit $434.4 million by 2026, growing at a compounded annual rate of over 44 %. Analysts say these numbers underscore both the scale of opportunity and the urgency of the challenges Prof. Aibinu is flagging.
