Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has issued a crucial directive to Nigerian universities, urging them to establish Artificial Intelligence task forces to guide the responsible use of emerging technologies in academic work.
Addressing AI Challenges in Academic Integrity
Pantami made this significant announcement on Monday, November 10, during his keynote address at a three-day national conference hosted by Gombe State University. The event, titled "Generative AI: Transforming Education — Opportunities, Challenges, and Ethical Considerations," brought attention to the growing concern of students using tools like ChatGPT to complete academic projects.
The former minister highlighted that AI has evolved beyond simple automation into a powerful technology capable of generating original content, including text, images, voices, and software code. He expressed particular concern about the erosion of academic integrity as students increasingly rely on AI to generate entire theses and research papers.
The Global AI Economic Opportunity
Pantami presented compelling statistics about AI's worldwide potential, predicting that the technology could create approximately 97 million new jobs globally and contribute up to 15 trillion dollars to the world's Gross Domestic Product by 2030.
He delivered a powerful message to educational institutions: "AI will not replace human beings, but those who learn how to use it will replace those who fail to learn it." According to Pantami, the real threat isn't the technology itself but the refusal to adapt to its transformative potential.
The professor, who also serves as Co-Chairman of the African Union's 4th Industrial Revolution Policy Council, identified several critical challenges that must be addressed:
- Growing concerns about data privacy in educational settings
- Risk of algorithmic bias affecting fairness in academic decisions
- Need for proper detection of AI-generated submissions
Practical Recommendations for Universities
Pantami outlined five key recommendations for immediate implementation by Nigerian higher institutions. He advised universities to form AI task forces comprising academics, non-teaching staff, legal professionals, and AI experts to establish clear guidelines on AI usage in both student and staff research.
He encouraged Nigerian universities to emulate leading global institutions like Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which have already established AI policy committees and task forces to manage ethical adoption.
The former minister also highlighted several AI-powered tools that are transforming research and learning, including platforms such as:
- Zotero for reference management
- Connected Papers for research discovery
- Research Rabbit for literature review
- Chat Academia for academic assistance
Pantami urged Nigerian students to leverage the Nigeria Startup Act 2022 and available government funding opportunities to launch AI-based startups. He called for increased investment in AI research and innovation, training for educators to integrate responsible AI in classrooms, and deployment of platforms capable of detecting plagiarism and AI-generated content.
He concluded that universities acting quickly will be better positioned to shape how AI benefits Nigeria's educational and economic future, emphasizing that proper regulation and ethical guidelines will ensure technology enhances rather than undermines academic excellence.
