The need to formulate a crystal clear, all-inclusive, flexible Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy in Nigeria to corroborate Nigeria’s Tech-savvy youthful population and enhance governance through Digital economy has been advocated.

This was the summary of high intellectual discussions led by the keynote address by the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman,
at the Saban Media Services Inaugural Colloquium on AI Policy in Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja.

Hadiza Bala who was represented by Dr. Khalipha Nuhu, expressed Nigeria’s readiness to lead the African Continent in Artificial Intelligence, while also reaching forth for its place globally.

“Nigeria has been making headway in this space. I am sure one of two of us have seen the announcement by Time Magazine listing of the Minister of communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijjani as one of those leading in Artificial Intelligence. This reflects our determination to lead Africa’s AI future while competing globally. Nigeria has the talent, creativity, and drive to become a leader in AI innovation on the continent.”

While advocating for a policy framework, she enjoined all stakeholders to collaborate in the crafting of the needed policy and avoid attempts to clampdown on early adopters, especially where their knowledge and skill will be a contributory factor to AI usage for the common good of the nation.

“Leadership requires vision, investment, and collaboration. It calls for strong partnerships between the government, the private sector, academia, and international stakeholders,” she said. “Most importantly, it requires a policy framework that balances innovation with safety, growth with equity, and ambition with responsibility. Nigeria must harness AI in a way that reflects our values, meets our needs, and unlocks our potential.

“The intent to have a policy that reflects how AI can be used, locally, contextualized to Nigeria’s context so that we can solve our own problems using technology like AI is important. We need to be intentional, upright, acknowledge challenges, worries and concerns brought about over the use of AI with our space”

On her part, The Director Of Corporate Communications, NDIC, Hauwa Gambo, applauded the use of AI in reshaping the global landscape, transforming information. She called for all-inclusive policies

“There is a need for balancing innovations with regulations, to ensure that no one is left behind in the transformation; carefully craft out guidelines and regulations that protect the end users.

“Ai is a tool that is important in the banking sector. As a regulator, we have to run with the time and supervise the agencies that fall within our mandate”, she stated

In her welcome address, the founder and CEO of Saban Media Services, Leah Katung-Babatunde states, “With great power comes great responsibility. We must ensure AI development is inclusive and equitable, protect data privacy and cybersecurity, and establish ethical frameworks to guide its use”.

The panel discussions constituted with experts both in the economic, government, and private space chatted the way forward for making AI useful to all stakeholders while also harnessing it for the actualisation of the $1 trillion economy as advocated by the current administration. They said its usage is an enabler rather than a hindrance to equitable development of the nation at large.