Nigerian Student's 1971 Robot Dream: Branded 'Mad' and Sent to Psychiatrist Instead of Support

Nigerian Student's 1971 Robot Dream: Branded 'Mad' and Sent to Psychiatrist Instead of Support!

Decades before artificial intelligence and robotics became buzzwords in Nigeria's tech scene, a 20-year-old student named Mudashiru Ayeni built what he believed was a pioneering battery-powered robot office assistant—only to be dismissed as mentally unstable and redirected to a psychiatric hospital rather than receiving any official backing.

In the early 1970s, amid Nigeria's post-civil war recovery under military head of state General Yakubu Gowon, Ayeni sought a personal audience to demonstrate his invention to the nation's leader. The device, described in contemporary reports, acted as an automated receptionist: pressing a button would prompt it to inform callers whether the boss was busy, available, or out of the office.

His request, however, did not lead to innovation funding or technical review. Authorities instead sent him for psychiatric evaluation. According to a November 1971 feature in TRUST magazine—titled "'Mad Muda' Proves Them Wrong with His Robot Receptionist"—Ayeni endured eight hospital visits before a psychiatrist finally declared him sane.

Cleared but undaunted, the young inventor wrote to his school principal, passionately arguing for the role young Africans must play in continental development and technological advancement. The response was expulsion: he was barred from classes and forced to leave school.

Ayeni then turned to Nigeria’s Federal Commissioner of Communications, Alhaji Aminu Kano, who offered encouragement and helped restore his drive. By the time the magazine story appeared, several businessmen had expressed interest in the robot, hinting at possible commercial potential despite the institutional skepticism.

The episode underscores the steep hurdles faced by early innovators in 1970s Nigeria, when visionary ideas in automation and emerging tech were often met with suspicion rather than investment or mentorship. Ayeni's robot receptionist may never have reached mass production, but his story—now resurfacing in online discussions—serves as a stark reminder of untapped genius stifled by doubt and a call for better support of homegrown talent in today's thriving Nigerian startup ecosystem.