OAUSTECH Inaugural Lecturer Urges Federal Government to Invest in Indigenous Knowledge for AI Development
AKURE — A Professor of Computer Science at Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Prof. Dipo Theophilus Akomolafe, has called on the Federal Government to prioritize research into indigenous knowledge systems, insisting that Africa’s traditional Ifá oracle embodies principles comparable to modern Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Prof. Akomolafe made the call while delivering the university’s 13th Inaugural Lecture on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. The lecture, titled “From Wandering to Wisdom: Breaking the Cycle of Intelligence Blindness,” examined the relationship between indigenous knowledge and contemporary computing.
According to the professor, humanity is living in the most informed era in history, with centuries of knowledge readily accessible through digital technologies. However, he warned that Nigeria remains trapped in what he described as “intelligence blindness”—a situation where valuable information and indigenous knowledge exist but are ignored, misunderstood, or inadequately applied.
He explained that such neglect often results in confusion instead of clarity, division instead of discernment, and the repetition of avoidable mistakes despite the availability of knowledge and evidence.
Tracing the origins of computing to African knowledge systems, Prof. Akomolafe argued that the Yoruba Ifá oracle operates on binary logic similar to that used in modern computer programming.
According to him, Orunmila employed coded patterns comparable to binary digits to access divine messages, while the opele chain utilizes paired values represented as 0 and 1, creating what he described as a classical 16-digit Ifá computational network.
He maintained that the principles embedded in the Ifá system laid the foundation for technological innovations now seen in computer systems, mobile phones, Artificial Intelligence, and other digital technologies.
The computer scientist also criticized the gap between research funding and policy implementation, lamenting that billions of naira spent annually on research through TETFund often produce findings that remain unimplemented.
He therefore urged the Federal, State, and Local Governments to increase investment in indigenous research and ensure that university research outputs are translated into practical solutions for education, security, industrialization, and national development.
Speaking at the event, the Vice-Chancellor of OAUSTECH, Prof. Temi Ologunorisa, described the lecture as evidence that Artificial Intelligence is not entirely a new concept to Africa but one that has largely remained undocumented.
He called on governments at all levels to commit resources to developing AI from the nation’s indigenous knowledge systems, noting that such investment would accelerate national development and improve the well-being of citizens.
The inaugural lecture was attended by academics, traditional rulers, staff, students, family members, friends, and members of the public.
