Africa International University is a chartered Christian university. It was started as Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology (NEGST) in 1983 by the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA).

The goal was to provide training for pastors beyond the basic certificate and diploma levels. This was informed by the envisioned crisis of ‘Christo-paganism’ in African Christianity without African Biblical theologians with advanced training to provide leadership in combating this trend.