Participants at the 6th Kano Social Influencers Summit have called for the strategic deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for national development across all tiers of government.
The two-day summit, themed “Towards a More Inclusive Governance of AI,” brought together stakeholders from academia, civil society, regulatory bodies, and the general public.
In his remarks, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) and pioneer Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), His Royal Highness Eze Ogbonna Ironmantu, represented by Chief Nmezi Oguadinma, noted that AI adoption is rapidly growing in Nigeria. He urged participants to deepen their understanding of AI’s workings and explore its potential in solving governance challenges.
“Can AI be used to evaluate government tenders, improve the law-making process, or make recruitment more transparent?” he asked, calling for practical discussions on applying AI to reduce corruption and inefficiency in public institutions.
Delivering a presentation on “Striking a Balance Between Data Needs for AI Training and Privacy Protection”, the National Commissioner of the National Data Protection Board, represented by Abdulmalik Jamo, highlighted data privacy as a key concern in AI operations. He warned that AI systems often collect user data without consent, which could compromise personal privacy if not properly regulated.
Jamo stressed the importance of strong governance frameworks, privacy-by-design policies, stakeholder engagement, and effective regulation to ensure AI serves the public good without infringing on individual rights.
Speaking on “Disinformation, Deepfake, and AI: Implications for Media and the Public,” Dr Bala Muhammad of Bayero University Kano’s Department of Mass Communication cautioned that the misuse of AI to create false or manipulated content poses serious risks to society.
“Deepfake videos and AI-generated misinformation can mislead the public, but the same AI can also be used to detect and dismantle such falsehoods,” he explained. He advocated media literacy, public awareness, and multi-stakeholder collaboration as effective countermeasures.
Kano State Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Wayya, warned against the abuse of social media freedoms, noting that AI is enhancing human capacity through technological innovation. He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to embracing digital transformation to drive socio-economic growth.
The summit featured two plenary sessions chaired by Professor Tunde Akanni of Lagos State University and Professor Jibrin Ibrahim of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), focusing on ethical considerations in AI governance and deployment.
The event concluded with a shared commitment to promote the responsible use of AI in Nigeria, ensuring transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in its application for national development.