Vice-Chancellor of Igbinadion University, Okada (IUO), Professor Lawrence Ezemonye, has cautioned universities against ignoring Artificial Intelligence (AI), saying that institutions that fail to embrace the technology risks becoming irrelevant in the fast-changing global academic landscape.
Ezemonye gave the warning in a keynote address at a one-day summit titled: ‘AI dynamics and ethical considerations in higher education: The global shift and the African reality’, held at the university’s library in Okada, Edo State.
Describing AI as an infrastructure of inquiry rather than just a technological tool, the vice-chancellor stressed that universities must adopt deliberate and structural approaches to integrate the technology into teaching, research and administration.
“If we do not shape the dynamics of AI, we will become passive consumers,” he said, noting that the speed of AI-driven research and innovation in advanced economies poses a serious challenge to institutions in the Global South.
According to him, the challenge facing African universities has shifted from limited access to journals and laboratory equipment to the pace at which knowledge is now generated.
He illustrated the gap by explaining that a researcher in a developed country could deploy AI to review thousands of academic papers in hours, while a counterpart relying on manual processes may take weeks, thereby widening the knowledge and competitiveness divide.
Ezemonye described the global shift towards AI as “aggressive, capital-intensive and moving at escape velocity,” urging African institutions to move beyond theoretical discussions to practical and policy-driven action.
“Our response must be structural,” he declared, calling for institutional policies that will position universities not merely as consumers of AI tools but as creators and innovators within the intelligence ecosystem.
The summit, chaired by the vice-chancellor, unanimously adopted key resolutions through a voice vote by participants.
Among the resolutions was that AI adoption at IUO must be guided by strong ethical considerations and treated as a process embedded in institutional practice, rather than as a standalone tool.
The university also resolved to develop a domesticated handbook on AI practices to guide staff and students, introduce a compulsory course on AI applications and ethics across all levels, and implement mandatory AI training for both staff and students.
Panelists at the summit included Ambassador Enaruna Imohe, former Director of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA); Noel Saliu, a former official of the National Universities Commission (NUC); Darlington Onyeagoro, an AI strategist and fintech innovation expert; and Ogbolu Ifeanyi, an AI consultant and data analytics educator.
The panelists unanimously agreed that while AI is inevitable in higher education, its deployment must be responsible, regulated and aligned with institutional values.
The summit marks a significant step by Igbinadion University towards positioning itself at the forefront of AI-driven transformation in Nigeria’s higher education sector.
