American Open University (A-Global) has marked its first anniversary as a licensed private university, highlighting major milestones recorded since its licensing by the National Universities Commission (NUC) on August 13, 2025.
The university, with its Global Campus in Ibadan, said it has expanded its academic portfolio to 21 programmes across three academic levels within its first year, comprising eight undergraduate degrees, three professional master’s programmes and 10 executive and professional development certificate programmes.
The Founder and President of American Open University, Prof. David Seyi Akanbi, said the institution was established to address the gap between university education and the skills required by employers in a rapidly changing economy.
Reflecting on the first year, Akanbi said the university’s vision was to build an institution focused not merely on producing graduates, but on developing graduates who are job-ready, future-ready and capable of creating employment.
According to him, “visions don’t die; even when the visioners pass on, the dream continues,” adding that the first year had demonstrated what could be achieved when Nigerian talent was matched with a future-focused educational model.
Among the university’s major achievements in the year was the formal opening of its Global Campus in Ibadan in February 2026 under the theme, “Future Forward.”
The institution also onboarded 40 faculty members from across the globe under its proprietary EDGE framework — Educate, Develop, Grow and Empower — while eight faculty members were sponsored to obtain Cisco certification.
A major academic milestone came on June 19, 2026, when the NUC approved A-Global’s first three postgraduate programmes — Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Information Technology (MIT), and Master of Public Administration (MPA).
The university said the programmes incorporate artificial intelligence into their core modules and would be delivered through its HyFlex model, combining physical and digital learning.
The first postgraduate cohort is expected to commence studies in the 2026/2027 academic session.
In the area of access and opportunity, A-Global introduced its SKILL Scholarship, a funding model that assesses applicants based on financial need, technical knowledge, innovation, leadership potential and evidence of self-directed learning rather than examination grades alone.
The university also launched a free AI-Powered Software Development Bootcamp across Ibadan, Abeokuta, Ogbomoso and Ondo Town, reaching four cities across three states.
At the Grand Pitch Day held in Ibadan on May 9, three participants — Fakunle Olajuwon Ayomide, Adeniji Flourish and Lawal Mubaraq Tolulope — won full B.Sc. scholarships after presenting applications developed during the bootcamp.
A fourth student also received a full discretionary scholarship, bringing the number of students studying at the university on full scholarships to four.
The university further highlighted its professional development initiatives during the year, including an artificial intelligence training programme for 120 journalists of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Oyo State Council.
It also hosted the Society of Women Accountants of Nigeria and partnered with the Oyo State Ministry of Establishments and Training to train 100 senior public service leaders on talent management, mentoring and succession planning.
According to the university, more than 220 professionals participated in its flagship training programmes during the first year, while over 1,230 applications were processed.
A-Global said its academic offerings are designed around sectors with growing demand for skilled manpower, including business, entrepreneurship, public administration, software engineering, information technology, data science and cybersecurity.
The university said its first year was anchored on the belief that Nigeria’s challenge is not a shortage of university degrees but a mismatch between qualifications and workplace competencies.
“Competency is the method. Capability is the outcome,” the university stated, adding that its goal is to produce graduates equipped to enter the workplace, adapt to the emerging AI economy and create their own ventures.
As it enters its second year, American Open University said it would deepen its professional partnerships, expand its learning network and commence its first postgraduate programmes.
The university also plans to implement its EDGE Strategy 2026–2030, a five-year institutional strategy designed to guide its academic and institutional development.
A-Global was licensed by the NUC on August 13, 2025, and operates its Global Campus in Ibadan, Oyo State, using a competency-based and HyFlex approach to higher education.
The university’s first anniversary report is titled “One Year of Opening Global Opportunities.”
