Jack Acheme, Abuja
The National Commission for UNESCO (NATCOM-UNESCO) and key education stakeholders have called for the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Nigeria’s national development, with a focus on the education system.
The Secretary-General of NATCOM-UNESCO, Lateef Olagunju, made the call at the opening ceremony of a three-day national conference in Abuja, Nigeria, with the theme: “Harnessing AI Techniques for Efficient Information Management and Retrieval.”
Olagunju said there was the need to embrace AI in Nigeria for the country to stay aligned with global trends and enjoy the inherent advantages.
“AI could enhance information management across sectors such as digital libraries, healthcare, national security, and enterprise systems.
“We are in a changing world where there is the need to join the AI revolution and fly, especially for the children.
“The conference aims to empower youths with AI for them to contribute to digital environment,” he said
Despite the benefits, Dr. Olagunju called for ethical frameworks to prevent misuse, in line with UNESCO’s global guidelines.
“So that the rights of other people can be respected,” he said.
He said the forum also aims to spark collaboration, motivation and actionable recommendations for implementation.
The Director, Education Planning, Research and Development, EPRD, at the Federal Ministry of Education, Obiajunu Anigboju, represented by Mrs Khadijah Liman, said AI offered transformative tools to meet modern demands, while not completely replacing earlier methods.
“Machine learning could address the growing complexity of information systems better than traditional methods,” she said
On fears of AI taking the responsibility of teachers, Dr Yinka Oyerinde, an Associate Professor of Information Systems and AI at the University of Jos, Plateau State, said AI was not a threat to teachers but a tool to empower them.
“AI-driven platforms could help educators generate lesson materials faster, thereby improving both teaching efficiency and student outcomes,” he said
On AI making students lazy, an AI expert, Dr Patrick Adeneye said AI would rather bring about smarter learning by providing quick access to vast resources, thus increasing both depth and efficiency.
“What a student needs to go to library to research on in three days can now be achieved in a split of seconds, so it will make them smart rather than becoming lazy,” he said
Patrick Adeneye expressed concern about challenges in the deployment of AI in the country, especially in rural areas.
He however, said that the conference would help in capacity-building and teacher engagement in those areas.
The conference aims to explore practical, ethical, and sustainable approaches to AI deployment into national development, with a focus on education.
In attendance were also teachers and students from various schools.
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