In a bold step toward transforming higher education in Africa, Iconic Open University, Nigeria’s leading private open university, has unveiled plans to launch the “iMetaverse Campus,” an AI-powered online learning ecosystem described as a “university without walls.”

Set to debut in 2026, the initiative marks the continent’s first fully integrated Digital Twin University platform, designed to merge physical and virtual learning environments and provide immersive, high-quality education to students anywhere in the world. The university says the platform will move far beyond conventional e-learning, offering a seamless, intelligent, and boundary-less educational experience.

“This is not just an upgrade to our existing systems—it is a fundamental reimagining of what a university can be,” said the Directorate of Public Affairs at Iconic Open University. “The iMetaverse Campus is our commitment to making education more accessible, engaging, and directly relevant to Africa’s development challenges, particularly where infrastructure for learning is limited.”

Four Core Innovations

The iMetaverse Campus is built around four pioneering components:

  1. Digital Twin University Platform – A virtual replica of the physical campus enabling students to interact in real time with lecturers and peers. The system allows live attendance at events, immersive collaboration, and access to campus services through 5D virtual reality experiences.

  2. AI-Enhanced Learning via ‘iBrain’ – At the heart of the platform is iBrain, an AI engine that personalizes the student learning journey. It offers adaptive study pathways, real-time academic support, and holographic lectures augmented with interactive 5D study tools to make abstract concepts tangible.

  3. Iconic Virtual Laboratory (“iVLab”) – The platform will include fully simulated science labs with haptic feedback, enabling students to conduct experiments in chemistry, physics, biology, anatomy, and more, from anywhere. Students can feel the resistance of a piston or the texture of molecular models, gaining practical skills without physical constraints.

  4. Intelligent Student Support Ecosystem – The current iTicket system will be upgraded with the AI-driven iGuide, automating administrative processes, academic inquiries, and complaints for faster, more efficient student support.

The university plans to test these innovations on the metaverse before the end of 2026, using VR headsets and haptic gloves to simulate touch, movement, and texture.

The Chief Innovation Officer emphasized that the iMetaverse Campus is more than a technological platform: it is an ecosystem designed to enhance human potential through immersive, inclusive, and intelligent learning experiences.

Experts suggest that the initiative could position Iconic Open University at the forefront of global educational transformation, setting new standards for technology-driven learning in Africa and beyond.

With a focus on sustainable digital infrastructure, critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the iMetaverse Campus is poised to redefine what higher education can look like in the 21st century.