The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, has said Nigeria is ripe for a national policy on Artificial Intelligence.
He warned that the country could no longer afford to be indifferent to global developments in AI, noting that failure to act swiftly may leave Nigeria lagging behind.
Adebowale made this known on Tuesday at the biennial Scientific Conference of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State.
According to him, while AI holds vast potential, it must always be subject to human oversight to prevent unintended consequences.
He said, “If you see the way AI is moving, just like WiFi, my only fear is that as a nation, we need to sit down and bring out an AI policy now. After many years, we won’t be able to catch up with it. Whatever AI does, there must be human oversight.”
The pro-chancellor of Achievers University, Dr Bode Ayorinde, said the institution was ready to support ideas and research that would provide solutions to the country’s socio-economic challenges.
“The vision of this institution is to produce a total man, morally sound, properly educated and entrepreneurially oriented, who would be useful to himself and the society,” he stated
Earlier, in her welcome remarks, the Vice Chancellor of Achievers University, Prof. Omolola Irinoye explained that the conference demonstrated the power of interdisciplinary research in driving innovation and solving real-world problems.
She stressed that the university was deeply committed to promoting high-impact research, academic excellence, and societal relevance.
According to her, Achievers University remains deeply committed to promoting high-impact research, academic excellence, and societal relevance.
“We continue to invest in state-of-the-art facilities, collaborative research, and intellectual engagements such as this conference, in line with our vision to be a world-class institution,” she said.
The conference featured the presentation of awards of excellence, recognising outstanding contributions to science and technology. (NAN)