The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has called on Nigerian universities to develop ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption strategies to maximise its benefits and address challenges associated with its use in education.
CITAD made the call at its 6th Digital Tech Policy Forum themed: “AI in Academia: Negotiating Benefits in the Context of Crisis and Complexity,” where stakeholders examined the impact of AI on teaching, learning and research.
Speaking at the forum, Dr Sana Abdullahi Muaz, a lecturer at the Department of Software Engineering, Bayero University Kano, said AI should not be regarded as a replacement for academic expertise but as an intelligent assistant that could improve productivity, creativity and learning when responsibly deployed.
Muaz said AI was not about developing machines that think like humans, but about enhancing human intelligence through data-driven solutions that support problem-solving and decision-making.
She said the growing adoption of generative AI tools by students and researchers required proper guidance to prevent misuse in academic activities.
According to her, some students now depend on AI tools to generate research topics, write thesis chapters and process sensitive academic materials without proper verification.
“AI should assist academic thinking, not replace scholarly judgement. It can unintentionally reproduce bias because of ethical and algorithmic challenges.
“When AI generates a first draft, it is the lecturer’s responsibility to review, edit and validate the content,” she said.
Muaz noted that AI provided opportunities for improving education and research, including analysing students’ previous academic performance, summarising large volumes of research materials and helping researchers identify emerging trends.
She, however, cautioned that AI was not a neutral technology and its adoption must be guided by ethical standards, transparency and accountability.
Also speaking, Muhammad Bello Yahya, a software engineer with CITAD, emphasised the importance of protecting academic integrity while encouraging responsible use of AI in higher institutions.
Yahya quoted UNESCO as saying, “Generative AI offers tremendous opportunity for education and research, but it must be guided by ethical principles.”
The forum was attended by academics, telecommunications regulators, government officials, civil society organisations, media practitioners and representatives of the private sector.
