Author: Joseph Michael

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has officially unveiled a standalone National Diploma (ND) curriculum in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Nigerian polytechnics, aimed at building a robust foundational skillset in emerging technologies from the start of tertiary education. Announced by Executive Secretary Prof. Idris Bugaje in Abuja, this initiative responds to global demand for AI expertise and shifts the way technical education is structured. The initiative addresses a critical gap that previous HND AI programs struggled to fill: students lacked foundational skills, largely because 80% of the traditional HND Computer Science curriculum had become too generalised, leaving only 20%…

A team of secondary school students in Borno State has successfully built and unveiled an indigenous, artificial intelligence-powered humanoid robot designed to serve as a classroom teacher in hard-to-reach and conflict-affected communities. The functional prototype, officially named “Max Zulum” in honour of Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, made its public debut during a graduation ceremony in the state capital of Maiduguri. The technological breakthrough emerged from an intensive six-month “Empowering Ideas, Empowering Communities” Artificial Intelligence Bootcamp and Data Analytics Fellowship aimed at leveraging digital innovation to counter acute teacher shortages across the region. Designed to address severe teacher shortages…

The Federal Government has taken a significant step towards modernising Nigeria’s diplomatic machinery with the launch of a comprehensive initiative to embed artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital tools into the country’s foreign policy operations. The announcement was made in Abuja during the second seminar on anticipatory, cyber and digital diplomacy organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event, held under the theme “From Awareness to Activation: Operationalising AI, Cyber and Digital Statecraft for Nigeria’s Foreign Policy,” brought together government officials, experts and stakeholders to examine how emerging technologies are reshaping global diplomatic practice. Speakers emphasised that diplomacy is no…

Alibaba has unveiled Qwen3.8-Max, a new flagship artificial intelligence model that the company says represents its most advanced AI system to date, intensifying competition among global technology companies racing to develop more capable and efficient AI platforms. The release places Alibaba’s Qwen family of models at the centre of the growing global AI competition, as Chinese technology firms continue to challenge leading AI developers in the United States and elsewhere. Qwen3.8-Max is designed as a large-scale multimodal model capable of processing and generating content across multiple formats, including text, images, video, and documents. Alibaba said the model is built to…

The European Union’s landmark AI Act reached a major enforcement milestone on 2 August 2026, as its first wave of transparency obligations officially came into force. The new rules require companies across the EU to clearly disclose when users are interacting with artificial intelligence systems and when content has been generated or manipulated by AI. Under the Act, AI-generated images, audio, video, and certain text must be visibly labelled and include machine‑readable marks to help citizens identify synthetic content. This includes deepfakes and public‑interest text produced without human editorial oversight. The European Commission has also released a set of standardised…

When it comes to Artificial Intelligence, tools like Claude AI have become essential for writing, coding, research, business planning, customer support, and content creation. However, one common frustration many free users face is hitting Claude’s usage limits faster than expected. For Nigerian users, this challenge can be even more significant. With exchange rate fluctuations and rising subscription costs, every AI interaction matters. Whether you’re paying for Claude yourself or through a business account, wasting tokens, context windows, or usage allowances can increase costs and reduce productivity. The good news is that most usage limits are not caused by doing too…

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape industries, economies and societies, a growing debate has emerged around a critical question: who gets to build the technologies that will influence the future? A new partnership between the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) and Cardiff Metropolitan University is positioning itself at the centre of that conversation through an initiative designed to strengthen women’s participation and leadership in human-centred artificial intelligence. The collaboration comes at a time when concerns about gender imbalance in technology and AI development are attracting increasing global attention. While artificial intelligence is often presented as a transformative force capable…

The Cross River State Government has rolled out an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered surveillance system as part of efforts to strengthen security, improve public safety, and enhance monitoring of flood-related risks across the state. The technology-driven initiative is aimed at supporting security agencies with improved surveillance capabilities while providing authorities with better tools to respond to emerging threats and emergencies. Read: Nigeria Expands Use of AI in Security and Surveillance According to reports, the AI-powered system will assist in monitoring public spaces, identifying potential security concerns, and improving the speed of response to incidents. The initiative forms part of the state…

For students around the world, AI is creating new opportunities to develop skills, explore ideas and participate in the technologies shaping the future. The OpenAI Student Collective is designed to bring students together around artificial intelligence by providing a platform where they can engage with AI, share ideas, learn from one another and explore how emerging technologies can support creativity, research and innovation. So, as AI becomes increasingly important across industries, students who understand how to use these tools responsibly and effectively will be better positioned to contribute to the future workforce and create solutions to real-world challenges. What Is…

The Louis Awode Foundation has launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI) essay contest to inspire secondary school students in Ogun State to explore the opportunities and challenges posed by emerging technologies. The initiative forms part of the foundation’s broader efforts to promote digital literacy, critical thinking and innovation among young people, while encouraging students to engage with conversations shaping the future of education, business and society. The competition provides a platform for students to express their understanding of artificial intelligence through writing, offering them an opportunity to examine how technology is transforming industries and creating new possibilities for economic and social…