1st Annual AAAI Nigeria Conference on Artificial Intelligence

The 1st Annual AAAI Nigeria Conference on Artificial Intelligence is the inaugural flagship conference of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) - Nigeria Chapter, which describes itself as the first AAAI chapter to be accredited in Africa. The organisation positions itself as a professional body bridging academia, industry and government to advance the responsible development and application of AI across Nigeria and the wider continent, bringing together researchers, practitioners, students and enthusiasts.

According to the chapter's official event calendar, the inaugural conference is scheduled for 27-29 August 2026 in Nigeria. (Note: the site's banner area elsewhere references a July window, and the precise host city has not yet been published; the detailed calendar entry — the most specific source — gives the late-August dates. This entry is therefore listed for review until the organiser confirms final dates and venue.)

The chapter's stated activity areas give a strong indication of the likely conference scope: research dissemination (publication of papers and scholarly material), conference and public-awareness events, community building for students and early-career researchers through mentoring and recognition programmes, public engagement on AI's capabilities and risks, and policy collaboration on the ethical use of AI. Its 2026 programme of supporting activity is substantial — recurring virtual Learn About AI sessions, AI Round Table discussions, an AI for Climate Action hackathon, AI training for business executives, and a large secondary-school AI and machine-learning training programme that in 2025 reached 1,300 public-school students across Lagos State in partnership with the state Ministry of Education.

For Nigeria's fast-growing AI community, an accredited AAAI national chapter launching its first annual conference is a notable milestone: it offers a domestic, professionally governed venue for AI research and practice that connects into the global AAAI network (whose 40th global conference was held in Singapore in January 2026). The conference is expected to draw academics, industry AI/ML practitioners, students and policymakers.

This listing is on the watchlist pending the organiser publishing confirmed final dates and the host city. Attendees should check aaai.org.ng for registration details, the programme and venue confirmation before making travel plans.