The Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) has committed to the establishment of a Regional Artificial Intelligence (AI) Centre at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), in a move expected to significantly strengthen research, innovation, and technology-driven learning in the South-East.
The Managing Director of NIGCOMSAT, Mrs. Jane Udehen, disclosed this during a working visit by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Professor Simon Uchenna Ortuanya, to her office. Mrs. Udehen described the proposed AI centre as part of NIGCOMSAT’s broader mandate to deepen Nigeria’s digital economy through advanced satellite communications, data services, and emerging technologies.
NIGCOMSAT, a federal government-owned company, is responsible for providing satellite-based communication solutions across Nigeria and beyond. Its services support critical sectors such as education, security, healthcare, broadcasting, agriculture, and disaster management, while also driving capacity building in space science, ICT, and innovation.
According to Mrs. Udehen, locating the Regional AI Centre at UNN is a strategic decision, given the university’s strong academic tradition, research capacity, and central role in human capital development in the region. The collaboration is expected to provide UNN students and staff with access to cutting-edge AI infrastructure, satellite data, high-performance computing resources, and specialized training programmes.
Professor Ortuanya who was accompanied in the visit by Dr. Hillary Chinedu Onu, the President and Founder, Michael Okpara Leadership and Entrepreneurship Center, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, welcomed the initiative, noting that the AI hub would enhance interdisciplinary research, improve digital skills acquisition, and position UNN as a leading centre for artificial intelligence and space-enabled technologies in Nigeria and West Africa. He emphasized that the partnership would also create opportunities for innovation, start-ups, and industry-academia collaboration, thereby increasing the university’s relevance to national development.
The proposed Regional AI Centre is expected to serve not only UNN but also other institutions, researchers, and innovators across the region, reinforcing NIGCOMSAT’s role in advancing technology-driven growth and placing UNN at the forefront of Nigeria’s AI and digital transformation agenda.