Experts at a one-day ICT Growth Conference organized by the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA), with the theme: “Impact of AI On National Development: Prospects, Policies, and Challenges in Nigeria” have noted that while AI comes with benefits, there are worrisome dangers of its use for society.
While speaking at the event Energy, Tech/Project Leader at Schneider Electrical, Mr Oluwatoni Olugbenga said that while the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on national development is both profound and far-reaching, presenting an unprecedented prospect, but it poses significant policy implications, and formidable challenges.
Olugbenga said the impact of AI on national development hinges not only on the sophistication of the technology but also on the effectiveness of data governance, encompassing data quality, privacy, and cybersecurity.
“Establishing policies and mechanisms to uphold data quality, protect data privacy, and fortify cybersecurity infrastructure is indispensable to engender trust, foster innovation, and safeguard national interests in the digital age”, he said.
He stated that a strong political will is indispensable in fostering technological leadership by nurturing an innovation-friendly ecosystem, incentivizing research and development in AI and energy technologies, and fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors to drive effective implementation.
Similarly, Founder and CVO of Digital Encode, Prof. Obadare Adewale, emphasized the need for Nigeria to understand the threat landscape and the critical role of cybersecurity in protecting against these threats.
He noted that many African countries lag in cybersecurity stressing that in Nigeria, the financial sector has been at the forefront of leveraging AI and cybersecurity, contributing about 25%-30% of AI involvement based on local statistics.
Obadare who spoke on the Highlights Critical Role Of Cybersecurity In Nigeria’s AI-Driven Digital Growth stressed the importance of responsible AI usage and the need for continued investment in AI and cybersecurity saying that the role of education in providing the necessary skills and knowledge for AI implementation cannot be ignored.
Represented by Group Head of InfoSec & GRC Advisory, CISO, Mr Oluwakayode Olatunji, he called for the increased public sector and government investment in education to drive AI adoption and economic growth.
While listing out what the Nigerian Government can do to harness the potential of AI, he suggested the establishment of robust AI-specific cybersecurity regulations in alignment with global standards.
He called on the Government to address issues on cybersecurity-AI strategy and Framework, Policy Formation, AI Risk Management, Compliance, Communication and Skill Acquisition and Awareness.
And the side of architecture, Obadare advocated for AI Business Architecture, Data Architecture, Technology Architecture, Security Architecture and Data Protection/Privacy Architecture.
The President of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), Mr. Adesola Akinsanya, was of the view that no single entity can address the complex challenges we face alone. It is through partnerships, shared knowledge, and collective action that we can drive the kind of growth that is inclusive, sustainable, and transformative.
The NITRA Chairman, Mr Chike Onwuegbu in his welcome address stated that there has been a known trend in Nigerians’ adaptation of new technology, where usage is higher than implementation adding that Nigeria is number one in the usage of internet in Africa but lags in connectivity and internet penetration.
