Pantami Urges Mandatory AI Education Across Nigerian Institutions
Former Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has called on all Nigerian educational institutions to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies into their curricula as a matter of national urgency.
Speaking at the annual general meeting and public lecture of the Zaria Education Development Association (ZEDA), Pantami warned that Nigeria risks falling further behind in global competitiveness if critical reforms are not immediately implemented.
The lecture was themed, “Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education: Opportunities, Challenges and Ethical Implications in the Nigerian Education System.”
Pantami stressed that AI literacy is no longer optional but an obligation for schools at every level.
According to him, teaching AI from primary schools to colleges of education, polytechnics, and universities is essential if Nigerian graduates are to compete globally.
“This AI knowledge is no more just a necessity, but to me it is an obligation. If and only if we want our students and other graduates to compete globally, it becomes an obligation that we must teach them AI, irrespective of what they study in their schools,” he said.
He noted that proactive nations like China and South Korea have already embedded emerging technologies into their learning systems, urging Nigeria to adopt a similar approach.
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The former minister also criticised current university enrollment practices, lamenting that thousands of students are still being admitted into outdated courses that have little relevance in today’s labour market.
He advised that obsolete programmes should be restricted to first-generation universities for the purpose of knowledge preservation, while globally relevant courses should take precedence in state, federal, and private institutions.
Pantami outlined four key recommendations to reposition Nigeria’s education sector for an AI-driven future.
First, he called for the introduction of AI-related courses across all levels of learning. Second, he urged policymakers to prioritise AI and emerging technologies in the national education framework.
His third recommendation focused on academic integrity. He advised institutions to deploy AI-powered content verification systems such as plagiarism detection and originality-check tools to ensure that students produce authentic work.
Lastly, he called for the establishment of AI Task Forces in all institutions to regulate the safe and ethical use of AI. He emphasized that universities cannot stop students from using AI, but must instead provide clear policies and guidelines to prevent misuse.
“You cannot in any way prevent your students from patronising AI. But what is important is that a university should have this task force so that they can come up with a policy, set up some guidelines on the do’s and the don’ts for AI deployment,” he said.
