Some experts in the information technology sector have called for an urgent need to integrate artificial intelligence into education, health and workforce development to ensure Nigeria’s competitiveness in the digital economy.

The experts made the call during a panel discussion at a high-level meeting on shaping an inclusive AI ecosystem for Nigeria on Monday in Abuja.

The event was organised in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy with support from Luminate, Ford Foundation, and MacArthur Foundation.

Yetunde Anibaba, a senior lecturer at the Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University, said there was a need to focus on using AI in education in three ways.

According to Ms Aniaba, apart from having an AI-compliant curriculum, there is also a need to train and upscale teachers who will handle the AI curriculum to deliver the knowledge from the basic to the university level.

She said there was also a need to train the Nigerian workforce to change their mindset on AI and embrace it as an enabler because it would help accelerate productivity.

Olubayo Adekanmbi, the founder of Data Science Nigeria, described AI as an equaliser. Mr Adekanmbi said it could give people access to digital intelligence, even in rural and marginalised communities.

He said it could help farmers manage their farms, increase productivity and make more money.

Dapo Olorunyomi, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development CEO, said the advent of technology led to misinformation and disinformation that needed to be checked.

“So if we are going to safeguard the conversations to build democratic communities, then we really have to find how conversation between media and technology companies can come to the table. This is to ensure that they play a very important role for media literacy,” Mr Olorunyomi said.

Olubunmi Ajala, national director of the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence, said that the government had a role in regulating AI for effective use.

Mr Ajala said there should be guidelines on the use of AI in terms of how to protect individual rights and privacy when setting standards.

Osasuyi Dirisu, executive director at the Policy Innovation Centre, said that Nigeria, being Africa’s most populous nation, was uniquely positioned to leverage AI technology for economic growth and societal development.

(NAN)