Speaker
Description
Odido, O. A.
CROSS RIVER STATE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, AKAMKPA, NIGERIA, WEST AFRICA
austynoshiomu@gmail.com
Track: AI, Emerging Technologies and Future Learning
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, grapples with profound educational challenges: over 18 million out-of-school children, high learning poverty (with many unable to read proficiently after primary level education), chronic underfunding (far below UNESCO’s 26% benchmark), overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, and stark urban-rural divides. Amid these, Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds promises for scaling quality education, personalizing learning, and building 21st-Century skills, essential for global competitiveness in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Nigeria’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (NAIS, 2024-2025), the National Digital Learning Policy, and initiatives like the free Artificial Intelligence Academy (launched 2025) signal strong governmental intents. This article examines AI’s dual role in Nigerian Schools – as a blessing (enabling adaptive platforms, teacher efficiency, and inclusive access) and a cause for concern (widening digital divides, ethical risks, and infrastructural barriers). Drawing on recent reports (e.g., NAIS 2025, UNESCO validations, World Bank Pilots, and 2025-2026 studies), it argues that Artificial Intelligence can propel Nigeria toward global relevance only through targeted, equitable implementation, focused on infrastructure, teacher training, local content, and ethical governance. Without these, Artificial Intelligence risks becoming another vector of dependency and inequity.