KEY POINTS
- OpenAI to open its first African AI academy at UNILAG.
- Adebayo Ogunlesi plays key role in OpenAI’s expansion.
- The academy will nurture African AI talent and innovation.
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) is home to OpenAI’s first African AI academy. OpenAI is the firm that manufactures ChatGPT.
The move is a huge step toward the company’s goal of growing around the world, and it illustrates how Nigeria is becoming more important in research and technology.
OpenAI has a board member named Adebayo Ogunlesi. He is a Nigerian-born billionaire and the founder of Global Infrastructure Partners. He has played a big part in the company’s current global push.
The declaration was delivered during UNILAG’s 2025 International Week, which focused about “Fair Partnerships and the Future of AI in Africa.”
The event brought together people from all around the world, including academics, government officials, and innovators, to discuss about how Africa can shape the future of artificial intelligence and make sure that everyone has equal access to it.
OpenAI Academy will help Africa’s AI experts get better
Emmanuel Lubanzadio, who runs OpenAI in Africa, said that the OpenAI Academy will be the first of its kind in Africa.
He said that UNILAG was the appropriate venue to host the project because it has a long history of doing new things and doing AI research.
Lubanzadio added, “AI can open up doors for everyone, and OpenAI is working hard to make sure that everyone can get to it.”
“We’re working with groups that use technology to help people.”
The academy’s goals are to further uncover and nurture African talent, strengthen local innovation ecosystems, and make AI tools and research available to everyone.
The news was met with cheers from students and researchers, which indicates how Nigeria is becoming more significant in the global AI conversation.
Adebayo Ogunlesi, a member of OpenAI’s board, wants to invest in Nigeria
OpenAI is worth $300 billion right now, and it has risen significantly since Ogunlesi joined the board.
The company just signed a five-year, $300 billion cloud computing deal with Oracle. This will give it greater computer power to work on AI.
It also bought the data startup Statsig for $1.1 billion, which adds more services for people and businesses to ChatGPT.
In addition to his employment at OpenAI, Ogunlesi is also looking at home. According to Billionaires Africa, he claimed he was looking into investments in Nigeria’s ports, oil, and aviation industries after meeting with President Bola Tinubu. This further shows that he is once again interested in the growth of the country.
