American Open University, Nigeria, has officially inaugurated its Global Campus in Ibadan, Oyo State, with a promise to transform higher education and better align academic training with labour market needs.
The launch event, held on Tuesday and themed “Future Forward,” drew academics, industry experts, regulators and community leaders. Organisers described the new campus as the start of a technology-driven and innovative approach to tertiary education in Nigeria and across Africa.
Speaking at the ceremony, the university’s President and Founder, David Seyi Akanbi, said the institution was established to rethink the traditional education system, which he noted no longer guarantees employment after graduation.
“Visions don’t die. Even when the visioners pass on, the dream lives on. Today, that dream has become reality,” Akanbi said.
According to him, the university will operate a hybrid learning model that integrates digital education, global exposure and strong industry partnerships. He stressed that the longstanding belief that academic success automatically leads to job opportunities is no longer reliable.
“The old promise of ‘go to school, earn good grades and get a job’ is broken. We aim to replace that outdated system with one that equips students with practical skills and global competitiveness,” he added.
Akanbi revealed that collaborations with international technology companies such as Microsoft, Google and Cisco would provide students with access to global-standard training while studying in Nigeria.
Delivering the keynote address, Professor Francis Egbokhare of the University of Ibadan argued that the country’s education challenges stem more from ineffective use of existing resources than from scarcity.
In his lecture titled “The Autarchic–Asymmetric Model for Nigerian Higher Education,” Egbokhare noted that infrastructure and talent are available but often underutilised or excluded.
“Infrastructure exists but is underused. Talent exists but is excluded. We must design higher education for Nigeria’s realities, rather than replicating foreign systems,” he said.
Goodwill messages were delivered by key stakeholders, including the Ibadan Zonal Director of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Temitope Akintola, who praised the institution’s emphasis on quality and accessibility. Toyin Olatayo, Academic Director of UniTES CISCO Academy, underscored the need to incorporate industry certifications into university curricula.
Professional bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria also expressed support, particularly for the university’s focus on preparing graduates for the workforce.
