University of Greater Manchester Partnership with DUFUHS Advances AI Capacity, Research and International Collaboration

Oluchi Chibuzor

A growing partnership between the University of Greater Manchester (UGM) and David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS), Nigeria, is delivering tangible outcomes in artificial intelligence education, research and institutional capacity building.

Professor Celestine Iwendi, Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Head of the Centre of Intelligence of Things (CIoTh) at UGM, recently led a University delegation to DUFUHS in Uburu, Ebonyi State, as part of continuing activities under the Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions.

He explained that the visit provided an opportunity to review progress arising from the partnership, engage with university leadership, academics, researchers and students, and deliver practical AI capacity-building activities focused particularly on applications within healthcare, education and research.

“One of the significant outcomes of the collaboration has been the establishment and continued development of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Applications (CAIA) at DUFUHS. The Centre is intended to strengthen AI literacy across the institution, stimulate interdisciplinary research and create opportunities for researchers and students to explore the responsible application of artificial intelligence to healthcare and other societal challenges,” he said.

Iwendi said the progress demonstrated the importance of moving international university partnerships beyond agreements into measurable institutional impact.

“An MoU should be the beginning of collaboration rather than the final outcome. What is particularly encouraging about our relationship with DUFUHS is that we are already seeing the partnership translate into capacity building, research engagement, new structures for AI development and opportunities for academics and students,’ he said.

During the visit, the UGM team engaged with a large audience of academics, researchers and students through interactive sessions designed to strengthen practical understanding of contemporary AI tools and their responsible application.

Iwendi expressed particular appreciation to Professor Jesse Uneke, Vice-Chancellor of DUFUHS, for his leadership and support for the partnership.

He also acknowledged Professor Nkiruka Folaranmi, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) and Centre Lead for CAIA, for her role in translating the partnership into practical programmes and coordinating the Centre’s growing activities.

Iwendi said, “The commitment shown by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jesse Uneke, Professor Nkiruka Folaranmi and colleagues across DUFUHS has been exceptional. Their willingness to embrace innovation and create an environment where AI can contribute meaningfully to health education and research has been central to the progress we are seeing.”

The visit also provided an opportunity for discussions with the Vice-Chancellor of the Ebonyi State ICT University, Engr. Prof. Ernest Ituma Egba, which is developing its own partnership with UGM and CIoTh. The engagement forms part of a wider effort to build international networks connecting universities, researchers and innovation centres around AI, intelligent systems and responsible digital transformation.

Prof. Iwendi was joined by colleagues including Dr Pradeep Hewage, Dr Ikpenmosa Uhumuavbi, Dr Ebere Ubesie, together with CIoTh researchers and research assistants Salome Uwah and Edim Emmanuel.
The team contributed to teaching, research engagement, practical demonstrations and discussions around future collaborative projects.

Professor Iwendi added that, “Our ambition through CIoTh is to build partnerships that create sustained value. This means developing people, supporting research, creating opportunities for students and academics, and ensuring that artificial intelligence is applied responsibly to problems that matter.”

The DUFUHS programme forms part of a wider series of UGM and CIoTh engagements in Nigeria. Following the activities in Uburu, the team travelled to Lagos for a second programme at James Hope University, continuing discussions around AI capacity building, executive education, research and institutional collaboration.

The expanding programme of activity reflects UGM’s wider commitment to internationalisation, knowledge exchange and responsible AI, while strengthening links between Greater Manchester and partner institutions across Africa.

Through CIoTh, the University continues to develop collaborative programmes in areas including AI in healthcare, intelligent systems, Internet of Things, data science, responsible AI, research capacity development and digital transformation.