Experts seek establishment of legal framework on AI in Nigeria
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Experts in the Nigerian higher education sector have called on the Federal Government to promulgate law that will back a comprehensive national framework on Artificial Intelligence, AI, in the country.
They also called on leaders in the country to prioritise technical skills and ethical awareness on AI.
These were parts of the communique issued at the end of the inaugural 2025 AI Awareness Day in the Higher Education in Nigeria.
The event was held virtually as a national event to raise awareness about the significance of AI in transforming the landscape of higher education in Nigeria.
It was co-hosted by the Virtual Institute for Capacity Building in Higher Education (VICBHE), National Universities Commission (NUC), National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Okebukola Science Foundation (OSF), the National Association of Artificial Intelligence Practitioners (NAAIP), and the Association of African Universities (AAU).
They noted that Artificial Intelligence has become one of the most influential forces shaping today’s world.
They said: “As institutions of higher learning in Nigeria, we must ask where we are in the global scheme of things regarding AI adoption.
“We urge our leaders to note that as we train the next generation of leaders and champions in AI, we should prioritise technical skills and ethical awareness.”
A high point of the event was the announcement of results of keen contests on AI policy, curriculum and deployment in teaching and learning, and AI research across Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education in Nigeria.
Four groups of awards were announced.
The first group, Best Institutional AI Policy in Higher Education, had in the universities category Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, which clinched the first position and the second position went to Lagos State University, Ojo, while the third position in that category went to the Federal University of Technology, Minna.
In the polytechnics category of this group, the first position went to Living Spring College of Technology and Innovation, Osogbo.
In the second award group, Best AI Researcher, Prof. Olatunji Sunday Olusanya of Adekunle Ajasin University won the first position in the universities category, while Dr. Salau Ayodeji of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, came second, and Dr. Awotunde Joseph Bamidele of the University of Ilorin emerged in the third position.
