NUC signs MoU with Daimlas Corporation to build AI ecosystem in universities

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Daimlas Corporation, a global leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation, to establish a comprehensive AI ecosystem across Nigerian universities.

The collaboration aims to empower academic institutions with cutting-edge AI resources, research opportunities, and a platform for AI-driven education.

At the signing in Abuja for the NUC AI Centre of Excellence, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Professor Abdullahi Ribadu, expressed readiness to ensure the success of the project.

“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,” He said.

The Chief Executive Officer of Daimlas Corporation, a US based-firm, Mr. Joseph Wehbe said universities in the US, as well as the federal, states, local governments, community colleges everyone was trying to figure out their AI strategy, and the centre is a platform that brings the ecosystem together.

“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 than an ICT ecosystem.” He said.

“Why? Because in AI, academia is at the heart of the research that goes into the advancements in AI. And on our platform that we built for NUC, it is to create pathways for every university in Nigeria that wants to participate in AI to join the platform.” Mr. Wehbe explained.

He said the organization had five ecosystems live globally, in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Washington D.C., California, and Saudi Arabia and in Nigeria, it has two that were with the Federal Ministry of Innovation.

Mr. Wehbe pledged the commitment of his organisation to guide and engage with the universities as they key into the project.

Reporting by Patience Olumati; Editing by Abdullahi Lamino