The Lagos State University (LASU) on Tuesday called for Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven research and innovation to address Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges and accelerate national development.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, made the call at the opening of the Eighth LASU Research and Innovation Fair (LASURIF) at Ojo.
Olatunji-Bello said the fair’s theme, “Accelerating National Development Through Artificial Intelligence-Driven Research and Innovation”, was timely, given the rapid transformation of knowledge, services and economies through AI.
She said LASU must move beyond adopting AI merely as a technological tool and focus on using it to solve problems peculiar to Nigeria.
“ It means asking how our research can use it to solve distinctly Nigerian problems”.
The vice-chancellor stressed the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and partnerships between the university, government and industry.
She said such partnerships were necessary to move research from conception to practical application and ensure that knowledge would ultimately serve society.
Olatunji-Bello said the fair would also examine the ethical use of AI in teaching and research, as well as its applications in agriculture, healthcare, energy and human resources.
She added that security, safety and policy development were equally important areas AI could be applied to since they required intellectual and practical attention.
The vice-chancellor said the event marked the fifth and final research and innovation fair organised under her administration.
She expressed appreciation to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his team for consistent support for the university over the past five years.
Olatunji-Bello urged participants at the fair to forge partnerships and ensure that discussions and innovations generated at the event would continue.
Earlier, Director, LASU Directorate of Research Management and Innovation, Prof. Adejuwon Adeneye, said the fair was designed to promote intellectual dialogue, industrial collaboration and societal transformation.
Adeneye said the two-day event, which would end on Wednesday, would focus on actionable AI integration through three sub-themes.
He listed the sub-themes as opportunities, risks and ethical use of AI in teaching and research; AI in agriculture, healthcare, energy and human resources; and AI in security, safety and policy transformation.
“Our mission is to translate groundbreaking research into practical commercial solutions and policy frameworks”.
The director encouraged participants to engage actively in keynote and plenary sessions, build cross-disciplinary partnerships and explore innovations displayed at the exhibition booths.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fair attracted academics, researchers, innovators, industry stakeholders, students and other members of the university community.
