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The American Open University (A-Global) has inaugurated a Skill and Liaison Centre in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, as part of efforts to expand access to technology training and flexible higher education, offering residents tuition scholarships of up to 75 per cent.
The centre, located in the High School Area of Ogbomoso, was inaugurated on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at an event themed, “Repositioning Ogbomoso for the Global Economy.”
The initiative, the university’s first community skill and liaison centre, is designed to provide admission information, learner support and technology skills training for residents of Ogbomoso and neighbouring communities.
The Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, Orumogege III, was represented at the event by the Abese of Ogbomosoland, High Chief Kasali Oladipupo, who performed the symbolic cutting of the tape.
Oladipupo said the initiative aligned with the monarch’s 25-year development agenda for Ogbomoso, particularly its focus on education and economic development.
He noted that the Soun had encouraged the establishment of the centre to ensure that young people in the community were adequately prepared to participate in the emerging global economy.
According to him, the monarch had, at the recent Ogbomoso Education Summit, pledged to strengthen youth participation in the global economy, describing the new centre as a practical demonstration of that commitment.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Adeolu Afolabi of the Department of Cybersecurity at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) described the centre as a welcome development capable of advancing Ogbomoso’s educational and technological ambitions.
Afolabi said the initiative reflected the objectives of the Soun’s Ogbomoso Education Development Plan, particularly its emphasis on leveraging technology and global opportunities to improve access to tertiary education.
He identified Ogbomoso’s population, agricultural potential, trading activities, favourable climate and educational institutions as advantages that could enhance the town’s participation in the global economy.
He added that the establishment of A-Global in the community would improve access to technology-driven education, encourage collaboration and equip residents with skills relevant to local and international opportunities.
Speaking at the event, the university’s Chancellor, Prof. David Seyi Akanbi, said the institution’s journey began 11 years ago and culminated in the National Universities Commission granting it a provisional operating licence in 2025.
He explained that the Ogbomoso centre would serve as a contact point for prospective and existing students, providing admission guidance, learner support and technology skills training.
Akanbi said rapid technological advancement and automation had increased demand for workers with advanced technical skills and the ability to adapt to changing employment opportunities.
He noted that social media, e-commerce platforms and mobile applications were transforming economic activities, making it necessary for educational institutions to prepare learners for the digital economy.
“This is the reason American Open University exists. Our mission is to develop an employable, competitive and globally relevant workforce for the digital economy,” he said.
The chancellor added that the university collaborated with industry partners and promoted applied learning, competency assessment and professional development to equip students with practical and demonstrable skills.
As part of efforts to make its programmes more accessible, the university announced the Ogbomoso Scholarship Scheme, offering a 75 per cent tuition reduction for residents admitted into undergraduate programmes and a 60 per cent reduction for those admitted into postgraduate programmes.
Under the scheme, interested candidates are required to apply for admission through the university’s regular process. Successful applicants can subsequently apply for the scholarship, which will be reflected in their student portals to reduce tuition costs.
The university offers undergraduate programmes in Data Science, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, Information Technology, Business Administration, Public Administration, Entrepreneurship and Business Information Technology.
Its postgraduate programmes include the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Information Technology (MIT) and Master of Public Administration (MPA).
Through The EDGE Institute, its training arm, the institution also offers professional certificate programmes in Cybersecurity, Data Analytics and Business Intelligence, eLearning Development, Artificial Intelligence Development and Deployment, and Agile Project Management.
Headquartered in Abeokuta, Ogun State, with campuses in Ibadan and Abeokuta, American Open University provides flexible learning opportunities through online, on-campus and hybrid arrangements.
The university said the establishment of the Ogbomoso centre represented a strategic step towards expanding community-based technology training and preparing more residents to benefit from opportunities in the digital economy.
