Varsity Students Turn To AI For Smarter, Faster Learning

Across Nigerian universities, students are embracing artificial intelligence (AI) tools to make learning faster, easier, and more efficient.

From engineering to mass communication and nursing, undergraduates who spoke in an interview with LEADERSHIP said they found that AI-powered platforms like are reshaping how they research, complete assignments, and understand complex topics.

At Nile University, Ponon Ali, a 300-level Electrical and Electronics Engineering student, said AI has become an essential companion for his academic work.

He first came across some tools on Instagram and now uses them mostly for projects and assignments. “It has helped me get a better understanding of my work..My assignments and projects are faster and have better precision.” He believes wider adoption of AI in universities will greatly improve student efficiency.
For Sarah Kallah, a 300-level Mass Communication student at Veritas University, ChatGPT has become her go-to tool for research.

She discovered it while browsing the internet and now uses it often to access information quickly. “It makes it easy to get fast and reliable answers. I think it will improve university education if more students and lecturers make use of it.”

In the nursing department at Veritas, Magdalene, a second-year student, has woven AI tools like ChatGPT and MyAI into her daily academic routine.

Using them almost every day for research, she says they have transformed her productivity and reduced stress.

“AI-assisted tools have helped me stay on top of my tasks and deadlines, saving me time and making it easier to grasp complex concepts.

They expose me to relevant information and broaden my knowledge of different subjects.” For her, the future of education lies in the improved and advanced provision of academic resources through AI.

LEADERSHIP recalls that the National Universities Commission (NUC) has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Daimlas Corporation, a global leader in Artificial Intelligence innovation, to establish a comprehensive AI ecosystem across Nigerian universities.

The collaboration aims to empower academic institutions with cutting-edge AI resources, research opportunities, and a platform for AI-driven education.

The Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, recently expressed the Commission’s readiness to embrace the project towards its success.

“Based on the explanation and what they say, the next four years at least. It’s enough time for us to see and review and see that we are prepared. You know, it’s very good.

“Because at times, it’s like a gauge, so to say. And when you start it, then you see that you cannot do without it. And you are prepared to pay the one-off cost.

“So I think it’s a very good thing. And we are happy that we are established already in many institutions that are well-known around the world. So I must say that we are very happy that we willingly signed this thing,” the executive secretary had said.