Dr. John Ojumoola, TNGI Director, attends the landmark AI gathering at Obafemi Awolowo University alongside TNGI team members and students from Transformation Professional Institute.
Ile-Ife, Osun State — August 27, 2026:
The Transforming the Next Generation Initiative (TNGI) joined hundreds of technology enthusiasts, researchers, educators, professionals, innovators and young people at the American Center for Artificial Intelligence (ACAI) Conference 2026, held at Oduduwa Hall, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.
The conference, organized by ACAI, brought together leading voices and stakeholders to explore the growing role of Artificial Intelligence in shaping Africa's future. The event was held under the theme, “Artificial Intelligence for National Development, Research Excellence and Economic Transformation.”
Representing TNGI at the conference was the organization's Director, Dr. John Ojumoola, who attended alongside members of the TNGI team and more than 30 young people, predominantly students of Transformation Professional Institute (TPI), the vocational and skills-development arm of TNGI.
Dr. Ojumoola's presence at the conference was particularly significant.
According to the ACAI team, the TNGI Director was specifically invited as a Guest of Honour because of the impact of his work in empowering young people, developing their potential and preparing them for greater opportunities.
Rather than attending alone, Dr. Ojumoola was invited to come with members of his team and some of the young people connected to the organization's programmes. The invitation therefore provided an opportunity for TNGI's young people to participate directly in an important national conversation about a technology that is rapidly transforming education, employment, business and society.
For TNGI, the invitation reflects a broader conviction that young people must not merely hear about the future, they must be deliberately prepared for it.
From Transformation to Technology
Many of the students who attended are beneficiaries of TNGI's youth development programmes, having passed through either the Youth Mentorship and Leadership Academy (YMLA) or the Students Mentorship and Discipleship Program (SMDP) before proceeding to develop practical skills at TPI.
TNGI's programmes are designed around holistic youth development, including mentorship, leadership, academic and career guidance, life skills and vocational empowerment.
At TPI, young people are further equipped with practical and industry-focused skills designed to prepare them for the realities of the modern economy. The institute describes its goal as equipping students with professional, technical and digital skills, alongside business acumen and leadership qualities.
The ACAI Conference therefore presented a natural extension of this journey: moving young people from transformation and skill acquisition into exposure to emerging technologies and the opportunities they create.
For the students, the experience went beyond simply attending another event.
They had the opportunity to listen to experts and thought leaders discuss Artificial Intelligence, its applications and its implications for the future. The sessions provided exposure to a rapidly evolving field while helping the students appreciate the importance of remaining adaptable in a changing world.
The experience offered valuable lessons in Artificial Intelligence, innovation, career development and the future of work, while also giving the young participants an opportunity to see firsthand the kinds of conversations taking place among professionals and leaders shaping the technology ecosystem.
For young people preparing themselves through vocational and professional training, such exposure can be transformative. It helps connect what they learn in training environments with the wider technological and economic landscape in which their skills will eventually be applied.
Preparing Young People for What Comes Next
The conference also reinforced an important aspect of TNGI's mission: empowerment must go beyond providing skills; it must also provide exposure, direction and access to opportunities.
TNGI believes that young people have enormous potential and that deliberate investment in their development can help them become productive and transformational leaders. The organization's work spans mentorship, leadership development, educational empowerment, scholarships and skills acquisition, with the broader goal of equipping young people for meaningful and fulfilling futures.
The participation of TNGI students at the ACAI Conference demonstrates this philosophy in practice.
By placing young people in rooms where experts are discussing the technologies that will influence their future, TNGI is helping them move from simply being consumers of the future to becoming prepared participants in it.
A Step Toward an AI-Ready Generation
As Artificial Intelligence continues to influence virtually every sector of society, conversations around AI literacy, responsible adoption, digital skills and innovation are becoming increasingly important.
For the young people who attended the ACAI Conference, the experience served as an opportunity to learn, ask questions, broaden their perspectives and begin thinking more intentionally about their place in an increasingly AI-driven world.
For TNGI, it was another opportunity to place its mission into action: transforming young people, exposing them to possibilities, and preparing them for greatness.
The organization remains committed to creating opportunities through which young people can develop the skills, character, knowledge and exposure required to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
The ACAI Conference 2026 may have been a single day, but for the young people who walked through the doors of Oduduwa Hall, it represented something bigger, a glimpse into the future and a reminder that the future belongs to those who prepare for it.