Group Targets Graduate Unemployment With Pan-African AI Education Drive

African universities are set for a major reset in Computer Science Education, as a non-profit organisation, Varsity Mentor, is hosting a two-day summit to bring together 45 faculty members from 27 Universities across Africa.

The conference, themed ‘VarsityMentor Gen AI in Computer Science Education,’ is designed to equip African Universities’ lecturers with practical tools and strategies to align academic training with the needs of the global technology industry, with seven Nigerian institutions amongst the 27 at the summit.

Speaking to newsmen in Lagos, Founder of Varsity Mentor and co-organiser of the summit, Obinna Anya, said the initiative was born out of concern over the continent’s rising graduate unemployment.

“Africa has over 2,000 universities producing about three million graduates every year, yet more than 50 per cent of them never get jobs. The truth is that the jobs are not there, and the reason is the disconnect between our education system and industry requirements,” he said.

He explained that Varsity Mentor GenAI, a non-profit organisation co-founded by three Africans working at Google in the United States, seeks to close that gap.

“Our goal is to ask, how can we help them to get the jobs? Where are the jobs? And how do we prepare them? This conference is focusing on university professors because they shape the future workforce,” he added.

Speaking further, Anya said that awareness and partnerships are key to addressing infrastructure challenges in the African educational system.

“We may not have the funds to provide all the hardware now, but companies like Google are offering free training. This is just the beginning,” he said.

He revealed that by 2040, Africa is projected to become the world’s largest workforce. “What are we going to do with this large workforce? This summit is our starting point,” he queried.

Co-organiser and Site Reliability Engineer at Google, Adekunle Adeyemo, said African institutions must embrace AI as a tool for progress rather than fear it.

“AI is already here. It will not take our jobs; it will only take the jobs of those who are unprepared. Just like computers enhanced work, AI will enhance what we do if we know how to use it,” he said.

Adeyemo, recalling his academic experience in Nigeria, noted, “When my colleagues abroad were learning modern programming, I was still dealing with outdated systems. In this age, Africans cannot take the back seat. Africans should learn to tell their stories, and this can be done through initiatives like this, where visiting scholars will be taught on these models while the ripple effects teach others in their various institutions back home,” he said.

Organiser, Varsity Mentor GEN AI, Valerie Ehimhen, said practical skills must replace theory-driven learning.

“We cannot continue to graduate computer science students who have never touched a computer. Tech skills are now central to job creation, both in Nigeria and globally,” she said.

Vlalerie noted that the summit follows months of virtual surveys and training sessions with participating faculty. After the conference, continuous engagement, post-event surveys and curriculum support will be provided.

Similarly, she disclosed that earlier editions were held in Ghana and Kenya for students, but this year’s focus is on universities to ensure broader impact.

The experts added that the event will feature sessions on generative AI tools, curriculum redesign, job-ready computer science models and collaboration with ministries of education across participating countries.