Olaitan urges students on AI, innovation
By Mustafa Abubakar
The Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Ilorin, Prof. Olukunmi Lanre Olaitan, has urged students to harness the opportunities presented by Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics and other emerging technologies to develop innovative solutions to societal challenges.
Prof. Olaitan made the call last Tuesday (October 20, 2026), while delivering the keynote address at the Kwara STEM FunFest 2026, held at the Kwara State Banquet Hall, Ilorin, with the theme, “Beyond Imagination: Shaping the Future with AI, Robotics and Innovation.”
Addressing students, teachers and innovators at the event, the Professor of Human Sexuality, Reproductive and Family Health said the next generation of great inventors could emerge from among the young people participating in the festival.
He urged the students not to underestimate the power of their imagination, noting that an idea that might initially appear simple could become the beginning of a useful invention.
According to the Dean, young people should not see themselves merely as leaders of tomorrow, but as problem-solvers who can begin addressing real challenges in their communities today. He identified curiosity, courage and creativity as important qualities needed to achieve this.
Prof. Olaitan explained that STEM was not merely an academic combination of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, but a way of thinking that encourages people to identify problems, ask questions, conduct research and develop practical solutions.
The Dean challenged the participants to look around their immediate environment and identify challenges relating to flooding, waste management, health, agriculture, energy, education, transportation and the environment.
He advised them to move beyond complaining about problems by asking critical questions such as “Why?”, “How?” and “What if?”, stressing that curiosity should lead to research and, ultimately, innovation.
The keynote speaker also encouraged students to move from being consumers of technology developed elsewhere to becoming creators of technologies capable of addressing local needs.
He cited possible innovations in infant health monitoring and access to educational materials as examples of solutions that could be developed to meet specific community needs, urging participants to build technologies that serve real human beings.
