Speaker
Description
Iloakasia, A. J.
NWAFOR ORIZU COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, NSUGBE, ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA
jenniferadaobiiloakasia@gmail.com
Track: AI, Emerging Technologies and Future Learning
The global workforce is rapidly becoming digital and the job requirements have also changed accordingly, necessitating high digital adaptability. The global workforce has been transformed with the addition of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and so have the requirements of the job which now require high digital adaptability. In Nigeria, there's a disconnect between the digital workplace and university curricula. This study aims to explore the AI readiness of Nigerian university graduates in recent years, examining their technical proficiency and readiness for AI-based workplaces. The study was based on three research questions and two hypotheses: institutional background, fields of study, and competency in AI. Descriptive research design was adopted and quantitative data were obtained from 600 graduands of all Nigerian Universities of both federal, state and private universities. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in analyzing the data with thematic analysis also included. Results show that there are substantial differences in the readiness of institutions in the area of AI depending on the discipline. Most of the public university graduates showed low levels of practical competency; STEM and private university graduates showed moderate levels of AI literacy. Some key shortcomings in data literacy, AI ethics, and prompt engineering were identified. Hands-on experience is the real problem with graduates, industry experts said. Based on the study results, it is recommended to introduce obligatory courses on the foundations of artificial intelligence, expand funding for public institutions of infrastructure, and promote university-industry cooperation.
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, AI Readiness, Graduate Employability, Higher Education, Nigerian Universities, Digital Workplace.