Author: Joseph Michael

Journalism in Nigeria began in 1859 with Iwe Irohin, founded by Reverend Henry Townsend, and quickly evolved from promoting literacy into a powerful platform for political discourse. Over time, it played a key role in the fight against colonial rule, amplifying nationalist voices and shaping public opinion. After independence, Nigerian journalism remained vital in holding power accountable, enduring censorship, harassment, and imprisonment during military rule. With the return to civilian government in 1999, the media expanded, privatized, and embraced broadcast and digital platforms, continuing to adapt despite political, economic, and informational challenges. Today, as artificial intelligence reshapes global media, Nigerian…

Clarivate Plc, a global analytics company that provides insights, data, and tools to accelerate innovation with headquarters in London, has released the inaugural AI50, a ranking of organisations worldwide that are leading in high-impact artificial intelligence (AI) innovation. The list highlights institutions whose patented AI innovations show strong technical influence and global reach. The AI50 is based on Clarivate’s analysis of AI inventions indexed in the Derwent World Patents Index, using the Derwent Strength Index to assess the impact and rarity of inventions. Only the top 0.5% of AI inventions with patent family members across multiple countries were included, and organisations…

Nigeria, the most populous Black nation in Africa, has spent an estimated $470 million on artificial intelligence-powered surveillance devices, underscoring its growing investment in advanced security and smart city technologies. The spending positions Nigeria as the largest investor in AI-driven surveillance infrastructure in Africa, highlighting a significant shift toward technology-led governance and public safety systems. The report, titled “Smart City Surveillance in Africa: Mapping Chinese AI Surveillance Across 11 Countries,” published by the Institute of Development Studies, found that Nigeria’s investments span facial recognition platforms, automatic number plate recognition systems, and centralised command-and-control centres designed to enable real-time monitoring and…

As part of a broader push to scale commercial operations and strengthen its position in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence market, OpenAI is expanding its workforce to support product growth, infrastructure scaling, and enterprise demand. The company is reportedly planning to nearly double its headcount from about 4,500 to around 8,000 employees by the end of the year. The expansion is expected to accelerate hiring across key areas, including engineering, product development, research, and sales, as well as customer-facing technical roles designed to help businesses integrate and effectively use AI tools. The move comes as competition intensifies in the artificial…

A growing number of job seekers now face an unusual first step in recruitment: speaking not to a human recruiter, but to an algorithm. In many cases, candidates record answers on camera, submit them, and wait for a decision they will never see explained. Behind the promise of efficiency lies a rising concern: are AI-powered interviews filtering candidates in ways that are opaque, unchallengeable, and potentially unfair? The Rise of the Machine Interview AI-driven hiring tools-often described as asynchronous or automated video interviews-are increasingly used to screen applicants before any human interaction takes place. These platforms typically allow employers to:…

NVIDIA, T-Mobile US, and partners, including Nokia, have announced the integration of physical artificial intelligence applications into AI-RAN-ready telecommunications infrastructure, advancing efforts to transform mobile networks into platforms that support both connectivity and distributed AI computing. The initiative focuses on embedding AI capabilities directly into radio access networks (RAN), enabling telecom infrastructure to run real-time artificial intelligence workloads closer to users at the network edge. NVIDIA said the collaboration is part of its broader vision for AI-native infrastructure. We are building the foundation for AI to operate across every layer of computing, including telecom networks, NVIDIA said in a statement…

Visa Inc., one of the world’s largest payments networks, connecting consumers, banks, and businesses, is now ramping up efforts to build the infrastructure needed for a new era of commerce in which artificial intelligence can independently complete purchases on behalf of consumers. Visa said it is advancing its “agentic commerce” strategy, systems that allow AI-powered agents to search, select and pay for goods, backed by its global payments network and security architecture. The initiative is anchored on its broader Visa Intelligent Commerce platform, designed to integrate AI directly into payment flows. The company said it is “on track to deliver…

The Nigerian electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has held an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development seminar on Artificial Intelligence (AI) at its Lagos State Headquarters in Sabo, Yaba, Lagos, as part of efforts to strengthen the role of emerging technologies in Nigeria’s electoral process. The seminar, held at the Commission’s facility on Birrel Avenue, brought together ICT experts, electoral officials, and key stakeholders to explore the development of an AI framework for election management. The engagement forms part of INEC’s broader push to modernise its operations through digital innovation. According to information published on INEC’s official…

The government of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, has launched an ambitious artificial intelligence (AI)-driven education reform programme to improve foundational learning in public primary schools across the state. The initiative seeks to modernise teaching methods, enhance literacy and numeracy skills, ensuring that every child has access to quality education. The programme, being implemented in phases, initially targets thousands of pupils in selected schools, with plans for broader expansion over time. It integrates AI-powered platforms into classrooms, enabling teachers to monitor student progress in real time, identify learning gaps early, and tailor instruction to individual needs. The technology is also expected…

MBZUAI is where the future of artificial intelligence is being written today, a campus where every lecture, lab, and research project is designed to push the boundaries of human and machine intelligence. Welcome to Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the world’s first university devoted entirely to AI. Pioneering AI Higher Education The University institution is the world’s first university entirely dedicated to artificial intelligence. Founded in 2019 in Abu Dhabi, the university represents a bold experiment in specialised higher education, aimed at producing the next generation of AI researchers and innovators. Its establishment reflects the UAE’s vision of…