Artificial Intelligence has moved from science fiction into everyday policy and business language. From global boardrooms to national development plans, AI is now spoken of as the new driver of competitiveness, productivity and influence. Across the world, chief executives see technology as central to survival, yet adoption still trails investment. The World Economic Forum and the United Nations warn that while AI offers immense opportunity, it can also deepen inequality where skills, infrastructure and governance are weak. Nigeria now stands at this defining junction.
At home, the AI conversation is louder in conferences than in classrooms. Our education system still battles basic challenges such as overcrowding, outdated curricula and limited access to digital tools, while the global economy accelerates toward automation and data driven innovation. We speak of artificial intelligence in a system that has not fully mastered digital literacy. Without deliberate reform, AI will become the privilege of a small elite rather than a shared national asset, leaving millions of young Nigerians as users rather than creators of technology.
Infrastructure remains a major constraint. Reliable electricity, strong internet connectivity and affordable digital devices form the foundation on which AI thrives. In much of Nigeria, power supply is unstable and broadband access uneven. Global AI models assume a level of digital stability that Nigeria has yet to achieve. Without addressing these fundamentals, AI risks becoming another impressive idea trapped on paper, unable to deliver real economic value.
Still, the promise of AI is not abstract. Applied wisely, it can help solve pressing local problems. In healthcare, AI supported diagnostics can assist overstretched medical workers and extend care to underserved communities. In agriculture, intelligent systems can guide farmers on weather patterns, soil conditions and pest control, improving yields and food security. In education, adaptive learning tools can support students in crowded classrooms and reduce learning gaps. These are practical opportunities, not distant fantasies.
The risks, however, are equally real. Systems trained on foreign data can reproduce bias and exclusion. Automation without social policy can displace workers faster than new opportunities emerge. Weak regulation can turn AI into a tool for surveillance and abuse rather than progress. The United Nations consistently stresses that AI governance must prioritize human rights, accountability and inclusion. For Nigeria, this means building local policy frameworks and regulatory capacity instead of importing technology without safeguards.
Nigeria’s strongest advantage lies in its youth. A young population, if properly equipped, can turn AI into a tool for growth and innovation. But this will not happen by chance. It requires focused investment in education, digital infrastructure and ethical policy. Artificial Intelligence can either widen existing cracks or help bridge them. The choice is ours, and history will judge whether we prepared our people for the future or merely watched it arrive.
– Inah Boniface Ocholi writes from Ayah – Igalamela/Odolu LGA, Kogi state.
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