Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, has called on Nigerian universities to establish Artificial Intelligence (AI) task forces to guide the responsible use of the technology in learning, teaching, research, and administration.
Pantami made the call on Monday during the opening of a three-day national conference organized by Gombe State University, themed “Generative AI: Transforming Education—Opportunities, Challenges, and Ethical Considerations.”
Delivering the keynote address, Pantami traced the evolution of AI and emphasized its transformative potential in education. He explained that generative AI can produce new and original content—such as text, images, voice, and computer code—and has the potential to revolutionize academic and administrative processes.
Highlighting global opportunities, the former minister noted that AI could create up to 97 million jobs worldwide and contribute about $15 trillion to the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2030.
“AI will not replace human beings,” Pantami said. “However, those who learn how to use it will replace those who fail to learn it.” He urged Nigerian universities to integrate ethical AI principles into their curricula to help students remain globally competitive.
Pantami, who also serves as co-chairman of the African Union’s 4th Industrial Revolution Policy Council, cited several AI-powered tools that enhance academic work, including Zotero, Connected Papers, Research Rabbit, and Chat Academia.
He also warned of emerging challenges associated with AI adoption in education. These include academic integrity concerns—such as students using AI to generate entire assignments—data privacy and security risks, and algorithmic bias that may affect fairness in outcomes.
The former minister encouraged Nigerian institutions to emulate leading global universities like Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which have established AI working groups to manage the responsible use of the technology.
Pantami emphasized that proactive engagement with AI would position Nigerian universities to benefit from the global digital transformation and secure a leading role in shaping Africa’s technological future.
