Education Must Be Foundation of Nigeria’s AI Strategy, Mogaji Counsels

DAVID MOGAJI
Founder/CEO Candleweb

"While agriculture, healthcare, finance and security remain critical areas for AI deployment, education should be regarded as the foundation that enables effective adoption across all these sectors." Mogaji

..... Says “AI users should not be regarded as passive recipients of technology but as important participants in the deployment process.”

Technology expert, David Mogaji, has called for education and human capacity development to be placed at the centre of Nigeria’s emerging artificial intelligence strategy, stressing that the success of AI adoption across critical sectors will depend largely on the ability of Nigerians to understand, develop and use the technology.

Mogaji, Founder and CEO of Candleweb made the call during a stakeholder engagement on the National AI Trust, where he emphasized the need for Nigeria to look beyond the development of sophisticated AI systems and invest equally in the people who will build, deploy and use them.

According to him, while agriculture, healthcare, finance and security remain critical areas for AI deployment, education should be regarded as the foundation that enables effective adoption across all these sectors.

He noted that Nigeria would require a strong pool of engineers, researchers, data scientists and other technical professionals capable of developing, testing and maintaining AI systems.

He, however, stressed that technical expertise alone would not be sufficient, noting that ordinary Nigerians who interact with AI-powered services must also have a basic understanding of the technology.

Mogaji identified farmers, healthcare workers, traders and teachers among those who could increasingly interact with AI solutions, stressing that their understanding and acceptance would be critical to the success of such technologies.

“AI users should not be regarded as passive recipients of technology but as important participants in the deployment process”, he admonished.

According to him, a farmer would be more likely to adopt an AI-powered agricultural solution when he understands its benefits, just as a healthcare worker would have greater confidence in an AI-assisted system when its processes and recommendations are properly understood.

Mogaji therefore advocated a two-pronged approach to AI education; “One component should focus on developing the specialized workforce required to design, develop and maintain AI systems, while the second should promote broad-based AI literacy among citizens.

The CEO of Candleweb warned that neglecting either component could undermine Nigeria’s AI ambitions, leaving the country either without sufficient capacity to develop home-grown solutions or with technologies that citizens are unable or unwilling to use.

The technology expert also highlighted the importance of trust in AI adoption, stressing that the success of artificial intelligence should not be determined solely by technological sophistication but by its ability to solve real problems and improve people's lives.

He said the National AI Trust process offered Nigeria an opportunity to develop a responsible and inclusive AI framework that reflected the country’s unique realities and development priorities.

Mogaji further called for the benefits of AI to extend beyond major technology centres, saying citizens across the country should be able to participate in and benefit from the opportunities created by the technology.

He reiterated that Nigeria’s AI ambition must be matched by deliberate investments in education, skills development and public awareness.

“Building AI systems is only one part of the journey. We must also build an AI-ready population capable of understanding, trusting and using these systems responsibly,” he said.
ENDS