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In a bid to expand access to premium higher education and position Nigeria for the global knowledge economy, the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, has sealed a strategic partnership with global edutech firm, Astria Learning, to float an Artificial Intelligence, AI-powered online eCampus.
The framework for this groundbreaking initiative was formalized during a two-day academic workshop held recently at the Best Western Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
The strategic session brought together Astria executives and OAU’s top academic, technical, and administrative leadership—spanning 17 faculties—to align on curriculum approval, eCampus setup, and student onboarding for Bachelor’s, Master’s, MBA, Doctoral, and Professional Certificate programmes.
Speaking on the timing and scale of the partnership, the Vice-Chancellor of OAU, Prof. A.S. Bamire, highlighted the necessity of integrating artificial intelligence into the institution’s framework to remain globally competitive.
”The conversation started early this year, and we quickly had to push the signing of the MOU because of the importance of the conversation to the university,” Prof. Bamire stated. “It has to do with enhancing the efficiency and operations of the system in its entirety.
This will be the first time that it is coming out vividly to everybody that this is an AI-incorporated and AI-integrated program. And the integration is not just one way… it helps to actually integrate the academic and research into administrative functions.”
Prof. Bamire noted that Astria Learning was chosen because its robust platform cuts across all disciplines. “Astria Learning to us, the way it is, will move us beyond the classrooms. It will involve people doing the academic business with us in their office convenience or even in their homes, without coming to the four walls of the university.”
A major concern often associated with distance learning is the dilution of academic standards. However, the leadership team assured that the eCampus model maintains the rigorous excellence OAU is known for.
Dr. Jeff Bordes, CEO and Founder of Astria Learning, emphasized that quality is the foundation of their model. “Our business model relies on quality because we want to not fall into the idea of dilution. The idea is that we want to make sure that whatever degree you acquire, whether it’s a master’s or PhD or even an undergraduate, that the quality is the same, if not better,” Bordes explained. “So working with the top university in Nigeria is not only important, but it’s a critical component of the eCampus model.”
Addressing the operational checks in place, OAU’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. G.A. Aderounmu, dismissed the notion that online degrees are inferior to physical learning.
”I don’t want to agree with that statement. Online is the way to go now,” Prof. Aderounmu asserted. “The quality of the assignment they are going to do online is going to be the same thing as what you see in class. The same thing with the exam. You can even decide to run a course that is being run physically within four years in two years because you learn at your pace. If you are a fast learner, you can get what you want within two years… it’s flexible. And that’s why I’m saying that one is even better compared to the physical.”
Despite the heavy online focus, Prof. Bamire added that a hybrid approach will still be encouraged to foster community connection. “No matter how far you are in doing your program, it is still very essential for you to pay a visit to the university… to affiliate yourself with the university. Know your environment, the environment that is bringing you up.”
The partnership strongly aligns with the Nigerian government’s renewed push toward a knowledge-driven economy. Prof. A.I. Akinyemi, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Development (RID) at OAU, noted that the traditional labor-intensive mentality must evolve.
”To run a knowledge economy, the mentality is different from running a labor-intense [one]… we must therefore power innovation in a way that creativity comes in, new ways of doing things,” Prof. Akinyemi explained.
Echoing the vision of the Minister of Education, he added, “The future of academics is to expand access to education. Expanding means it’s beyond what we have seen before… people who can afford but who are unable to, we want to take it to them.”
Prof. Akinyemi also highlighted that the target demographic goes far beyond traditional secondary school leavers. “There are people who have been on a job for a long time who want to learn new things.
There are people who have learned who want to unlearn and relearn. So for those categories of people, this online program will be suitable to them.”
For Dr. Bordes, the ultimate goal of the Astria-OAU partnership is to empower Nigerians to trust and invest in their own homegrown educational brands rather than taking their resources abroad.
”The biggest asset you have as a nation is the smart people you have that proliferate this country,” Bordes noted. Addressing the Nigerian populace directly, he urged, “Believe in your own brand. Don’t go to the UK to say the UK degree is superior. If you don’t build your own superiority, no one’s going to do it for you… Invest in your university so that way we can build better walls, better labs. Why not bring people from London to study here? You have to believe in your brand and believe it’s possible.”
With a robust curriculum ready for deployment—spanning MBA and MSc programs in Artificial Intelligence, Public Health, Mass Communications, and the Arts and Humanities—OAU and Astria Learning are setting a new benchmark. As Prof. Bamire concluded, “Once you are able to link up online, that is all. Anybody anywhere can be part of OAU without stress.”
