In 1971, a Yoruba Student Mudashiru Ayeni built a AI Robot — Nigeria Declared Him Mad, Sent Him to Psychiatric Hospital Instead of Celebrating Him!!
Long before Artificial Intelligence became a global phenomenon, a 20-year-old Yoruba student named Mudashiru Ayeni had already built a battery-powered Robot Office Assistant (ROA).
His invention? A machine that could tell callers / visitors whether the boss was busy, available, or away from the office at the press of a button.
But instead of being celebrated as a genius, Ayeni was treated like a madman.
According to a 1971 feature story by TRUST Magazine, Ayeni requested a personal demonstration before Nigeria’s then-Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon. His reward? He was sent to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation.
· Ayeni made eight visits to the psychiatric hospital before a doctor finally certified him to be of sound mind.
He wrote to his school principal about the role young Africans should play in the continent’s development, and was banned from classes and forced to quit school entirely.
Ayeni later reached out to Nigeria’s Federal Commissioner of Communications, Aminu Kano, who encouraged him and gave him renewed purpose.
At the time the story was published, several businessmen had already expressed interest in his invention.
While the world celebrates AI pioneers, Mudashiru Ayeni’s story remains a painful reminder of how Nigeria treated Yoruba genius, with suspicion, humiliation, and psychiatric wards instead of laboratories and funding.
Nigeria leaders must have a rethink of how they treat ‘hidden’ geniuses. They must be ready to work with the younger geniuses with brains and brawn for Nigeria to evolve from its importation syndrome.
Sometimes ago, a young Nigerian innovated a drone that is capable of smoking out the wicked and obnoxious bandits and kidnappers in the bush , up till now, nobody has heard anything about the guy’s innovation while Nigerians are wasting away in the hands of these heartless and obnoxious kidnappers. We need a fast approach to save our dear nation. The time is now.