Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
Nigeria’s leading voices in technology, governance, education, and security yesterday converged on Abuja for the Artificial Intelligence (AI) stakeholders roundtable 2025, agreeing that it should not be an exclusive tool for experts, but to empower everyone.
At the event which was hosted by the American Centre for Artificial intelligence (ACAI), the organisers said it signalled a bold and unified commitment to shaping the future of artificial intelligence in the country.
Speaking at the event, the Director of ACAI, Mr. Olusola Amusan, emphasised the roundtable’s significance, stressing that it was more than a forum for discussion, highlighting AI’s growing influence across sectors.
From healthcare and security to policymaking and education, he advocated an all-inclusive AI penetration, urging a collaborative and human-centred approach to addressing key concerns such as data privacy and transparency.
“What makes this gathering special is its diversity. In this room, we have leaders from tech, government, academia, security agencies, and even emerging AI talents from our secondary schools. Your presence affirms a powerful truth; the future of AI cannot be decided by one sector alone, it demands a multidisciplinary, inclusive approach.
“Security, a key focus of today’s event, presents one of Al’s most promising frontiers. For institutions like the Nigeria Police, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Civil Defence, and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Al offers the potential to enhance public safety, improve operational efficiency and support data-driven decisions, all while maintaining ethical integrity.
“However, beyond frameworks and systems, we must also invest in people. Al should not be an exclusive tool for experts, it should empower everyone. From students building real-world solutions to policymakers shaping national strategies. It must be accessible, understandable, and beneficial to all,” Amusan stated.
In his intervention, a seasoned security and defence professional and a veteran of the US army, Maj. Adebayo Adeleke, in his goodwill message said the current situation reflected both urgency and optimism.
Drawing from personal experience in youth-led agricultural programmes, he emphasised the need for clean data, education, and talent development to ensure AI’s potential is fully realised across Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa.
“Artificial intelligence is not merely a tool, it’s a transformative force that has the potential to define every sector of our society, from healthcare and education to agriculture and transportation.
“I just left a programme where had about a thousand students turn out for ‘Beyond Agriculture’, a programme that we’re trying to get students to understand the tricky part of food security, and this is well grounded in artificial intelligence, because for artificial intelligence to be a tool, you need data, and those data have to be pure, and that has to make it successful.
“So I don’t only talk about artificial intelligence, I’m also a practitioner of it. As we continue to discuss today, let us remember that the true power of AI lies not in the algorithm and data that drives it, but in the people it serves.
“Nigeria is a nation brewing with talent, creativity, and innovation. Our young population is our greatest asset, and it is our responsibility to harness this potential by fostering an environment where AI can thrive,” he stated.
Also speaking, All Progressives Congress (APC) National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Bashiru, who was represented by Otuke Amata, a lawyer, in his address themed: “Shaping the Future of AI Governance, Ethics, and Innovation,” stressed that Nigeria must not lag in creating legal and ethical frameworks for AI, citing President Bola Tinubu’s recent engagement with Google executives.
“Nigeria’s AI landscape remains fragmented. We must develop ethical AI standards, data governance policies, and accountability mechanisms that reflect our unique socio-economic realities. The administration has tasked the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to spearhead national coordination of AI and digital transformation efforts and learn from successful African case studies like Rwanda and Kenya,” Bashiru stated.
Delivering his keynote address, Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, echoed the urgency of embedding AI into Nigeria’s education system, revealing efforts to establish ‘AI Center of Excellence’ and integrate African datasets to ensure inclusive and ethical AI development.
“AI is now a fundamental driver of economic progress, social transformation, and knowledge production. We are developing an AI-centric curriculum in collaboration with academic institutions and industry leaders while allowing universities to innovate by adding 30 per cent to the curriculum. Additionally, NUC has signed a memorandum of understanding with Daimler’s AI ecosystem to provide university access to AI training platforms.”
“We signed an MOU with Daimler some weeks back and once the programme is launched, it will give an opportunity and the platform to staff and students in the Nigerian university system to access the platform at no charge for a period,” he concluded.
