Traditional rulers and community leaders in Omuo-Ekiti, Ekiti State, have pledged to voluntarily allocate a large parcel of land for a proposed Artificial Intelligence Academy to be located in the community.
The pledge was made on Thursday during a public hearing on a bill seeking to establish the academy. The Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security organised the hearing.
The bill is sponsored by Yemi Adaramodu, the senator representing the Ekiti South Senatorial District.
Mr Adaramodu, who is also the Senate spokesperson, said the proposed academy would promote and strengthen artificial intelligence education and research in Ekiti State and across Nigeria if passed into law.
He said the institution would create employment opportunities for young Nigerians while ensuring that the host community benefits from a greater federal government presence.
The senator urged his colleagues, stakeholders in the education sector, and leaders of the Omuo-Ekiti community to support the bill to facilitate its passage.
Community expresses support
The paramount ruler and king of Omuo-Ekiti, Noah Omonigbehin, said the community is peaceful and ready to host the proposed academy.
Mr Omonigbehin, who was represented by one of his chiefs, Taiwo Alonge, said the institution would equip youth in Ekiti State and across Nigeria with globally relevant AI skills.
He appealed to members of the National Assembly to support the establishment of the academy.
Other leaders of the Omuo-Ekiti Kingdom also reaffirmed the community’s readiness to host the institution.
Speaking on their behalf, Olusola Kolawole, a professor and former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Abuja, described Omuo-Ekiti as a strategic location for the academy because of its proximity to Ondo, Kwara, Kogi and some parts of northern Nigeria.
Mr Kolawole said Ekiti State has many professionals with expertise in artificial intelligence who are willing to contribute to the development of the academy if the bill is approved.
He argued that establishing the institution would help address the unequal distribution of federal projects, claiming that Omuo-Ekiti has received limited federal presence over the years.
The professor also noted that the community has already secured a temporary site for the proposed academy and is prepared to provide a large parcel of land for its permanent location.
He added that the institution would boost the local economy, improve security, and accelerate technological development in Omuo-Ekiti and neighbouring communities.
Seven-year moratorium for establishing federal institutions
The proposal comes amid concerns over the continued establishment of new federal tertiary institutions despite persistent funding challenges facing existing ones.
In 2024, the Federal Executive Council approved a seven-year moratorium on the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. The federal government said the measure was necessary to halt the proliferation of institutions and allow it to focus on adequately funding, staffing and upgrading existing ones, many of which struggle with poor infrastructure, inadequate personnel and limited budgetary allocations.
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Despite the policy, the National Assembly has continued to process and pass bills seeking to establish new universities and specialised institutions across the country. Lawmakers have defended the proposals on the grounds of expanding access to higher education, promoting regional development and addressing gaps in specialised fields.
The trend has, however, drawn criticism from education stakeholders, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), who argue that creating more institutions without sufficient funding risks further stretching the country’s limited education resources.
Existing federal universities and other tertiary institutions have repeatedly complained of inadequate funding, dilapidated infrastructure, insufficient teaching facilities and manpower shortages, raising concerns about the sustainability of establishing additional institutions.
