Education experts have urged Nigerian universities to urgently review and restructure their academic programmes to reflect the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI), warning that failure to do so could render graduates uncompetitive in a labour market that is being reshaped by technology.

The call dominated discussions at the StudyIn Global Study Conference 2026, held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, where stakeholders examined how AI is transforming learning, careers and the demands of the workplace.

The conference, themed: ‘Future ready: Succeeding in an AI-driven world,’ brought together students, parents, school administrators, education managers and representatives of universities from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.

The Country Director of StudyIn Nigeria, Mary Agbu, said the conference was designed to help young people get clarity about their academic and career choices and to prepare adequately for life after secondary school.

She said the platform has evolved over the years into a meeting point where students interact directly with foreign institutions, listen to professionals from different fields and have honest conversations about education, careers and global opportunities.

Agbu, who is the Executive Director of First Multi-Plan Pathway College, said this year’s edition was particularly significant because AI is altering how people learn, work and build careers, and students must understand what that shift means for their future.

She explained that panel sessions and student-focused engagements were structured to break down the changes AI is bringing and the practical steps young people must take now to remain relevant.

“Students today are preparing for a world that is changing faster than ever. AI is already influencing the way we learn, work and build careers, which means students need to think carefully about the education and skills they will need for the future,” she noted.

She also stressed the need to balance AI adoption with ethics and values, saying conversations about technology must involve parents, schools and other stakeholders.

“One of the things that we really push out in the college is values,” Agbu said, adding that the integration of AI into education must be guided by a clear value system and ethical framework,” Agbu stated.

In her keynote address, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer and founder of Bloom Academy for AI, Dr Lola Olukuewu, said Nigerian learners must begin preparing for a future in which AI will be central to every profession.

Olukuewu warned that within the next three to five years, AI will become a full-fledged co-worker in workplaces in Africa and Nigeria, handling end-to-end processes in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture and aviation while humans provide oversight.

“The world is changing, the educational system is being revamped as well, and so we need to let our learners, our students, know how to be future-ready, how to be well positioned so that the changes going on in the world and in the career space don’t make them unprepared,” she said.

She, however, lamented that Nigeria’s current curriculum does not reflect the realities introduced by AI, a situation she described as worrying.

Olukuewu said Nigeria must be proactive rather than reactive, noting that countries like China are already revamping their education systems and eliminating thousands of obsolete courses.

She called for increased awareness, actionable steps with clear timelines and a top-down approach to reforms, stressing that leaving the transformation to schools alone would not produce results.

Olukuewu also urged universities to go beyond teaching students how to use AI for productivity, but to encourage them to become innovators who create solutions for local problems.

Also speaking, the Chief of Staff and Director at StudyIn Nigeria, Adiba Ofungwu, said there is a significant gap between the realities of education in Nigeria and the demands of the changing global learning environment.

Ofungwu said many Nigerian students are unaware of the wide range of global opportunities available to them, including scholarships, tuition discounts, and full funding, and that they require better guidance to compete with peers already learning in AI-enabled environments.

She noted that the organisation has positioned itself to bridge the disconnect between what is available locally and what is available globally.

At a panel session featuring David Ogebe, Bolajoko Owolabi, Tolu Flosbach and Martha Okafor, speakers emphasised the need for intelligent and responsible use of AI, warning that its adoption must not undermine critical thinking and creativity.

Ogebe criticised the slow pace of curriculum reform in Nigerian universities, saying it does not keep pace with the speed at which AI is reshaping industries.

Owolabi expressed concern that growing reliance on AI tools is encouraging a culture of copying and pasting among some learners, rather than original thinking.

She said students must be taught to use AI as a support for learning and research, not as a substitute for critical thought.

A major highlight of the conference was the Future Ready Essay Competition, introduced for Year 11 and Year 12 students to engage with the conference theme and articulate their ideas on preparing for an AI-driven world.

At the end of the competition, Okoye Sienu of Lagoon School, Lekki, emerged as the winner and received a MacBook, while Tamilore Macaulay of Dowen College and James Sorefunmi, also of Lagoon School, were the first and second runners-up, respectively, winning an iPad and a notebook, among other prizes.