Africa’s First OpenAI Academy Launches at UNILAG
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) is partnering with OpenAI to launch Africa’s first OpenAI Academy, offering free AI learning resources for students, researchers, and professionals across the continent.
The academy aims to help Africans build and shape AI technologies, not just use them. UNILAG’s strong innovation ecosystem makes it a fitting base for this initiative.
If successful, the program could democratize access to AI education, foster locally relevant innovations, and strengthen Nigeria’s role in the global AI landscape.
However, success depends on its ability to reach learners outside major cities and translate learning into real-world solutions. For now, details on the program’s rollout remain limited.
X plans to introduce new profile transparency features to combat misinformation and impersonation. Users will soon see details like account creation date, country or region, and handle change history.
The feature follows criticism over X’s decision to replace verified badges with paid subscriptions, which led to more fake accounts and misleading identities.
According to Nikita Bier, X’s Head of Product, internal testing will begin with employee accounts before a wider rollout. The goal is to give users more context and credibility cues when engaging online, especially during trending discussions or news events.
Still, whether this will fully restore user trust remains uncertain.
ChatGPT Plus Now Available in South African Rand
OpenAI has also launched rand-based pricing for ChatGPT in South Africa, alongside a new ChatGPT Go tier.
The Plus plan now costs R399/month, while Pro is set at R3,999.99/month. ChatGPT Go, priced at R149/month, offers a cheaper option with limited tools compared to Plus, dropping deep research and Sora video generation.
Go users still enjoy perks like 10× higher message limits, image uploads, and extended memory.
The move aims to make AI access more affordable and reduce currency conversion challenges. Yet, the roughly 15% markup above the dollar rate could raise pricing concerns among users.
