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Teachers’ training and Nigeria’s AI future

Teachers’ training and Nigeria’s AI future

By Ijeoma Olorunfemi

Globally, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) race is heating up and Nigeria is not a bystander; it is revving up towards harnessing AI for national development.

AI, the ability for computational systems to perform tasks associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem solving, perception and decision making, is also having a growing demand in education.

Nonetheless, experts say efforts being made by Nigeria to embrace AI will not achieve optimal results without the training of school teachers.

Although the Federal Government, through the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), created the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) to entrench AI,  experts argue it is insufficient.

They say that Nigeria should take a cue from other countries succeeding in AI technology by investing in teachers’ training to bolster the country’s agenda towards building an AI-literate ecosystem starting from the basics.

According to experts, if Nigeria is to emerge as a competitive player in the global AI economy, teachers must be placed at the heart of the national strategy.

An ICT expert, Akindayo Akindolani, said that AI was being positioned as central to Nigeria’s future, but he alleged little national conversation about on AI literacy could be embedded in the school system.

“Teachers are the conduit of transformation and yet are often left out of digital skills plans; teachers shape the future workforce and without AI literacy, students will be consumers, not creators.

“In rural and underserved areas, trained teachers can bridge the digital divide; teachers influence trust, awareness, and ethical understanding of AI among young people.’’

Akindolani argued that most teachers’ training colleges did not have AI or data science in their curriculum, while most of them lacked digital devices, training and tools that could expose them to the knowledge of AI.

He said that the National Education Technology policy was not comprehensive to align with emerging AI requirements.

The expert suggested for AI modules to be included in the curricula of Colleges of Education and Teachers Training institutes, while the Federal Government could introduce AI for teachers as programme.

He said such programmes could collaborate with technology companies and universities.

“The government should make AI literacy part of secondary school computer science curricula, provide incentives for teachers in rural areas to be able to acquire devices and training grants on AI,’’ he said.

He said that embedding AI in the educational system would foster better and prepared youths ready for the AI digital economy workforce, encourage grassroot awareness on risks, benefits and inclusive innovation and drive ethical technology use.

Akindolani said that trained teachers were especially vital in rural and underserved areas with limited digital access.

Mr Josephy Origbo, a Technology Educator, said that teachers were not just transmitters of knowledge but community leaders, influencers and lifelong mentors who could inspire students to become innovators and not just consumers of technology.

“If Nigeria truly wants to unlock the potential of its youthful population, teachers need to be equipped with the digital tools, AI concepts, and educational strategies that make learning relevant for the 21st century.

“In rural and underserved communities, trained teachers are even more critical because they become the bridge between disconnected students and global opportunities.

“AI education in such contexts is not just about coding; it is about digital inclusion, ethical technology use, and opening pathways to the global digital economy,’’ he said.

A Cybersecurity and AI expert, Ola Akinsuli, recognised Nigeria’s growing entrenchment of AI in Fintech, healthcare systems, education and governance.

According to him, the trend is reshaping the economy, creating new opportunities for millions of Nigerians both locally and internationally.

Akinsuli said that in the midst of growing demands of AI, teachers were not ready for an AI-driven future, especially in the area of cybersecurity awareness and the responsible use of technology.

“While policy makers are rightly focusing on AI innovation, startup funding, and regulatory frameworks, there has been very little conversation about who will prepare Nigerian students to engage with AI ethically, safely and effectively.

“Teachers are the first line of defense against the misuse of AI technologies; they are also the primary influencers shaping young Nigerians’ understanding of digital ethics, cybersecurity risks, and responsible AI use.

“In a country with millions of young learners accessing mobile devices and AI tools daily, ignoring teacher capacity will create long-term vulnerabilities, both in education and in national cybersecurity.

“Globally, schools and educational systems are already struggling with new AI-driven challenges, like the AI-generated cheating and plagiarism, cyberbullying using deepfakes and AI-altered content, privacy breaches from unregulated use of AI learning tools and spread of misinformation via AI-generated fake news platforms.’’

According to Akinsuli, if Nigerian teachers are not equipped to understand and manage these risks, students will be left out, both as users and future creators of technology.

He said there should be the integration of AI and cybersecurity awareness programme into the teacher training curricula, the unveiling of a national AI strategy developed with teachers in context and cybersecurity upskilling boot camps for teachers.

“This should be short, intensive programmes that quickly raise teacher capacity to manage AI tools and digital risks in the classroom and the government can work with global technology companies, local cyber security firms and education NGOs to deliver scalable AI-cybersecurity teacher training.

“Nigeria needs to leverage on the knowledge of Nigerians currently working in AI and cyber security roles globally because their skills represent an untapped pool of expertise that can help deliver targeted teacher training programmes virtually and on-ground.”

He said that the lack of training on ethical AI use would be posing even more national cybersecurity threat and digital sovereignty issues.

According to him, students untrained in ethical AI use can unintentionally become contributors to cyber risks, spreading misinformation, engaging in cyber fraud, or becoming targets of online scams.

“If we fail to equip our teachers with the right skills, knowledge and digital safeguards, we risk creating a generation that is digitally connected but not ethically prepared for the challenges of the AI era,’’ he said.

The expert said that without addressing the gaps, Nigeria’s tech agenda risked becoming urban-centered and elite-driven, excluding millions of young Nigerians.

He called on the Federal Government, Ministry of Education, private sector actors, and international development partners to shift focus towards classroom capacity-building on AI.

It is stakeholders’ view that no national AI strategy can succeed if teachers are not equipped to nurture the next generation of ethical, skilled and empowered AI users and innovators. (NANFeatures)

News Agency of Nigeria.

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