The University of Nigeria (UNN) and The Roxettes Group have announced plans to establish a research and innovation centre dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI), smart and green mobility, and digital technologies to strengthen research commercialisation, entrepreneurship, and technology-driven industrial development.\n<\/p>\n
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The proposed Dr. Kaycee Orji Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Smart\/Green Mobility and Digital Innovation will serve as a hub for collaboration between academia and industry, with a focus on developing innovative solutions that can be commercialised to address local and continental challenges.\n<\/p>\n
Chairman of The Roxettes Group, Arc. Dr. Kaycee Orji-Kelechi, announced the initiative while delivering his acceptance speech after receiving an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration (Honoris Causa) during the University\u2019s convocation ceremony.\n<\/p>\n
According to Orji-Kelechi, the project is a long-term investment in human capital, innovation, and technology rather than simply another infrastructure development.<\/p>\n
He said the vision is to position the University of Nigeria among Africa\u2019s leading institutions in artificial intelligence, smart mobility, and digital innovation through research, entrepreneurship, and technology development.\n<\/p>\n
The centre will feature five specialised laboratories focused on artificial intelligence and machine learning, smart and green mobility, robotics and the Internet of Things (IoT), digital finance and financial technology (fintech), as well as cloud computing and advanced data centre technologies.\n<\/p>\n
As part of the initiative, Orji-Kelechi also unveiled plans for the Kaycee Orji Founders Innovation Challenge, an annual programme designed to identify, mentor, and support innovative ideas from students, researchers, and academic staff with the potential to become scalable startups.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery student of this University should know that a great idea conceived in a classroom should have a pathway to becoming a patent, a startup, a global enterprise, and a solution that transforms society,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n
He disclosed that preliminary planning for the project is already underway, with architectural and engineering designs being developed by K.KH Contractors Ltd., a subsidiary of The Roxettes Group.<\/p>\n
Discussions with the university on a suitable location for the facility are expected to begin soon, while a comprehensive implementation proposal will be submitted after the design phase is completed.\n<\/p>\n
Reflecting on his entrepreneurial journey, Orji-Kelechi stressed the need for Africa to shift from consuming innovation to creating it through greater investment in manufacturing, technology, and entrepreneurship.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have pursued one simple vision: that Nigeria and Africa must move from consumption to production; from importing innovation to creating it; and from waiting for opportunities to building them,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n
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He also encouraged graduating students to use their education to solve real-world problems through innovation, leadership, and enterprise, reaffirming his commitment to youth empowerment, industrial development, and sustainable economic growth.<\/p>\n
The proposed collaboration reflects the growing emphasis on university-industry partnerships as a strategy for strengthening innovation ecosystems, commercialising research, and supporting technology-driven entrepreneurship in Nigeria.\n<\/p>\n
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