American Open University (A-Global), Nigeria, has officially launched its Global Campus in Ibadan, pledging to redefine higher education and close the widening gap between academic qualifications and workplace demands in Nigeria and across Africa.
The launch event, themed “Future Forward,” attracted academics, industry leaders, regulatory agencies and community stakeholders, marking the debut of what the institution described as a disruptive, technology-driven education model for the continent.
Speaking at the ceremony, the President and Founder of the university, Dr. David Seyi Akanbi, said the institution was established to challenge the traditional promise of education which, he noted, no longer guarantees employability.
“Visions don’t die. Even when the visionaries pass on, the dream continues. Today, that dream has become a reality,” Akanbi said.
He explained that the university was designed to replace outdated learning models with a hybrid system that blends digital learning, industry partnerships and global exposure.
“The old promise of ‘go to school, get good grades, get a job’ is broken. We are here to fix that by building a new model that makes the old one obsolete,” he added.
According to him, strategic partnerships with global technology firms such as Microsoft, Google and Cisco will enable students to compete internationally without leaving Nigeria.
Delivering the keynote address titled “The Autarchic–Asymmetric Model for Nigerian Higher Education,” Professor Francis Egbokhare of the University of Ibadan (UI) argued that Nigeria’s education challenges are not rooted in a lack of resources but in poor utilisation and weak institutional imagination.
“Infrastructure exists but is underused. Talent exists but is excluded,” he said, proposing a self-reliant, technology-driven model that repurposes community spaces as learning hubs.
“Higher education must be redesigned for the country we have, not the one we are copying,” he stressed.
The event also featured goodwill messages from key stakeholders, including the Zonal Director of JAMB, Ibadan, Mrs. Temitope Akintola, who commended the university’s focus on access and quality, and Mr. Toyin Olatayo, Academic Director of UniTES Cisco Academy, who highlighted the importance of embedding industry certifications into academic programmes.
Professional bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) also expressed support for the university’s emphasis on workforce readiness.
Representatives of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, the Oyo State Police Command, and leaders of the host community were present at the event and pledged support for the institution’s operations.
The launch concluded with a tour of the Global Campus and a demonstration of the university’s hybrid learning platforms.
The institution also announced the commencement of admissions into NUC-approved undergraduate programmes in technology, business and public administration, with curricula integrated with artificial intelligence, data analytics and digital strategy.
