An Abuja-based private institution, Cosmopolitan University, has revealed that it has made artificial intelligence (AI) a compulsory skill for all students across disciplines as it unveiled new postgraduate and executive certificate programmes.
Mani Ahmad, Registrar of the university, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists during the unveiling of the Master of Business Administration (MBA), MSc Intelligence and Security Studies, and professional certificate programmes in Abuja.
Ahmad said the programmes are designed to equip students, professionals and industry leaders with knowledge and practical skills aligned with national development priorities and global trends.
He said the postgraduate offerings focus on research capacity, leadership competence and professional specialisation, while the certificate courses provide short-term training for career advancement, upskilling and lifelong learning.
Ahmad noted that artificial intelligence should not be viewed as a threat to employment but as a tool that rewards those willing to learn and adapt.
“Artificial intelligence has come to stay. It will not necessarily take away jobs; rather, it will take away jobs from people who refuse to learn and adapt to the new norm,” he said.
He likened current fears surrounding AI to the resistance that greeted earlier industrial revolutions, explaining that, unlike previous technological shifts, during which Africa largely played catch-up, AI presents an opportunity for global parity.
“With artificial intelligence, because of globalisation, the whole world is moving at the same level. People are deploying local AI solutions to solve local problems,” he said.
The Registrar added that Cosmopolitan University was established as an innovation and technology-driven institution, with AI embedded in its academic philosophy.
“That is why our Vice-Chancellor is a professor of artificial intelligence. All our students are immersed in AI, irrespective of the degree they are studying,” he said.
On programme delivery, Ahmad explained that courses will be offered through learning formats combining in-person and virtual instruction, supported by capstone projects and industrial placements.
He added that students may take at least two courses at partner universities abroad to qualify for dual certification.
According to him, “In line with National Universities Commission (NUC) regulations, the Master’s degree programmes will run for three to four semesters. MBA students will take core courses in the first two semesters before specialising in the third and fourth semesters.
MBA specialisations include Human Resource Management, Agribusiness and Rural Innovation Management, Law Enforcement and Justice Administration, Accounting, Digital Marketing, Public Health Management, Sustainable Energy Management, and Forensic Accounting.
Through its Special Studies Directorate, the university also offers Executive Education Certificate Programmes lasting between two and 12 weeks in areas such as Leadership Development, Finance for Non-Finance Executives, Entrepreneurship and Business Start-ups, Project Management, and AI-focused courses, including AI for Business, AI for Finance, AI for Law Practice, Robotics, and Intelligence and Crime Management.
Ladi Hamailai, Director of Academic Planning and Dean of Postgraduate Studies, said the university is committed to helping students maximise opportunities offered by artificial intelligence.
Also speaking, Barnabas Suleiman, Sub-Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, disclosed that the university is developing an AI-powered crime laboratory in collaboration with security agencies to support crime prevention.
The Registrar added that admissions into the postgraduate and certificate programmes are now open, while the university is also processing approvals for new undergraduate programmes in Film and Multimedia, Broadcasting, New Media, and Mass Communication.
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