A major internal network issue at Cloudflare, one of the world’s largest web infrastructure companies, caused global disruption on Tuesday, leading to widespread 500 errors that temporarily crippled vital online platforms including X (formerly Twitter) and ChatGPT.

The outage, which was reported in multiple regions worldwide and severely impacted the ability of Nigerians to access news updates, financial services, and e-commerce portals, has since seen services begin to recover, though intermittent errors persist.

Cloudflare confirmed it had identified the issue, which it initially reported as an “internal service degradation,” stating: “Cloudflare is aware of and investigating an issue which impacts multiple customers.

We are working to understand the full impact and mitigate this problem.

We are seeing services recover, but customers may continue to observe higher-than-normal error rates as we continue remediation efforts.”

Local Impact and Service Failures

According to findings, the network disruption created slow loading times and downtime for several Nigerian websites that rely on Cloudflare’s network for performance and security.

Major digital services affected globally and locally included:

• X (formerly Twitter): Users reported the platform was largely inaccessible, with feeds failing to load.
• ChatGPT and other AI-driven platforms: Experienced significant access issues.
• Nigerian Websites: News media outlets and e-commerce platforms saw slow loading times and intermittent downtime.

Underscoring Internet Dependency

The incident highlights the critical reliance of the modern internet on a handful of large-scale content delivery networks (CDNs) like Cloudflare, which provides security, traffic management, and performance services to nearly 20% of all websites globally.

This outage is the third major disruption to hit a prominent cloud provider in recent months. Last month, Amazon Web Services (AWS) experienced an outage that affected over 1,000 sites. Just a week later, Microsoft Azure went down globally, forcing the company to deploy its “last known good” configuration to restore services.

The post Global Cloudflare Outage Disrupts X, ChatGPT, Halts Nigerian Online Services appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has partnered with OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT, to launch Africa’s first OpenAI Academy, a major step in equipping students, researchers, and innovators with real-world artificial intelligence (AI) skills designed for African contexts.

Announced during the university’s 5th International Week themed “Equitable Partnerships and the Future of AI in Africa”, the partnership highlights UNILAG’s growing role in technology and innovation on the continent.

Speaking at the opening, UNILAG Vice-Chancellor Prof. Folasade Ogunsola said AI presents Africa with an opportunity to “leapfrog systemic challenges” and deliver context-specific solutions.

“This isn’t just about learning technology, it’s about shaping it to serve our people,” she said.

OpenAI’s Africa Lead, Emmanuel Lubanzadio, said the academy will train students, educators, and entrepreneurs in AI tools, including ChatGPT, focusing on sectors like education, governance, and creative industries.

“UNILAG is a model for how AI can be localized. This academy will empower students and serve as a blueprint for Africa,” he noted.

The event also featured Bank of America’s Head of Sub-Saharan Africa, Yvonne Ike, who urged African institutions to move faster in preparing youth for a world increasingly driven by AI.

“Africa must lead and define its digital future not wait for others to do so,” she said.

A panel session titled “AI and the Future of African Cities” explored how AI can solve urban and governance challenges. Speakers included experts from the University of Manchester, Future Africa, and UNILAG student innovators.

UNILAG’s international strategy, according to Deputy Vice-Chancellor Prof. Foluso Lesi, focuses on co-creating solutions that work locally and scale globally.

The university has secured over $28 million in international research funding and continues to form partnerships grounded in equity, mutual value, and innovation.

The academy, hosted at UNILAG’s Innovation and Technology Management Office, is set to deliver hands-on AI training through workshops and labs throughout the week. It will focus on applying AI in education, journalism, public service, and the creative economy.

Representatives from Nigeria’s Ministries of Education and Communications, as well as Lagos State Government, commended UNILAG for positioning itself as a leader in Africa’s digital transformation.

“When young Africans are given tools like AI, they don’t just follow trends — they lead change,” said Dr. Olayinka Adewumi, the academy’s coordinator.

The post UNILAG Partners With OpenAI, Set to Launch Africa’s First AI Academy appeared first on Housing TV Africa.