By Uzair Adam
The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has launched the maiden edition of its Digital Tech Policy Forum to deliberate on the urgent need for a national Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy framework in Nigeria.
Held in Kano under the theme “Towards a National AI Policy,” the event gathered academics, policymakers, and technology experts to examine the ethical, governance, and infrastructural issues shaping Nigeria’s digital landscape.
In his opening remarks, CITAD’s Executive Director, Malam Yunusa Zakari Ya’u, said the forum aims to foster continuous dialogue between policymakers, academia, and civil society on emerging digital challenges.
He stated, “Our goal is to ensure that technology policy in Nigeria is not reactive but proactive. This forum will serve as a bridge between research and policy, ensuring that innovations like AI are guided by ethics, inclusivity, and human-centered values.”
He added that the forum would convene monthly to discuss critical digital policy matters, stressing that a robust and inclusive national AI policy is vital to building public trust in technology-driven governance.
Participants identified several challenges hindering Nigeria’s AI readiness, including the absence of a national AI policy, infrastructural deficits, ethical concerns in academia and media, and growing fears over data privacy and algorithmic bias.
Head of the Department of Computer Science at Bayero University, Kano, Dr. Hadiza Umar, emphasized that the rapid expansion of AI technologies in Nigeria calls for immediate policy intervention.
“AI is transforming every sector—from education to health and agriculture—but without regulation, it can also deepen inequality. We need a roadmap that balances innovation with accountability,” she warned.
Similarly, Engr. Rabi’u Haruna, former Chairman of the Kano Chapter of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), highlighted the importance of collaboration among government, academia, and industry stakeholders.
“Policy without professional input will not work. The government must listen to experts and practitioners if we truly want an AI ecosystem that serves Nigerians rather than exploits them,” he said.
Also speaking, Malam Aisar Salihu Musa, a lecturer at the Department of Mass Communication, Kano State Polytechnic, expressed dissatisfaction with the ongoing trend of unprofessional usage of AI on social media and in academia.
Musa stated that the menace has contributed to the growing concern over the spread of fake news on social media, citing an incident where the picture of Engineer Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, the former Kano State governor, was altered by AI to change his red cap, causing confusion about which image was authentic.
He further called on the government to be among the first adopters of policymaking on AI usage.Dr. Sanah Abdullahi Mu’az of Bayero University’s Software Engineering Department cautioned against the misuse of AI in education.
She stated that, “We are already seeing AI-enabled plagiarism among students. Universities must adopt clear AI-use policies to protect the integrity of academic work while promoting responsible innovation.”
Adding a policy perspective, Kano State Commissioner for Information, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Yusuf Ibrahim Kofar Mata, revealed that the state government has begun developing a Hausa-language AI chatbot.
He explained that, “This initiative is about taking AI to our grassroots. We are building a tool that farmers, students, and traders can use in their own language to access vital information on health, education, and commerce.”
He pledged that the ministry would assign a permanent representative to the forum and establish a committee to align AI policy deliberations with state planning efforts.
At the close of the meeting, participants agreed that Nigeria must move from being a passive consumer of foreign AI technologies to an active innovator and regulator within the global AI ecosystem.
“The future of AI in Nigeria,” Ya’u concluded, “depends on our ability to build policies that are not just about technology—but about people, trust, and shared prosperity.”