By Justina Auta
The Nigeria Religious Coalition on Artificial Intelligence (NRCAI) has urged the Federal Government to adopt strategies and regulatory frameworks to guide the development and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Nigeria.
The coalition, comprising the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) and Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), made the call during a one-day training on “Effective Reporting of AI” for journalists and stakeholders on Thursday in Abuja.
Bishop Evans Onyemara, General Secretary of CCN, highlighted AI’s immense potential while stressing that its deployment must be guided by strong policies to ensure accountability, compassion, and protection of citizens’ rights.
“We believe that human beings should deploy technologies like AI in ways that enhance the common good of our existence, and not put us in harm’s way.
“So it is important that the country adopts strategies and regulations that will ensure the use of AI is properly governed,” he added.
Onyemara urged ethical frameworks for national deployment.
He emphasised that Nigeria must adopt laws that regulated AI use, ensuring the nation’s belief systems and values were respected and that religion was not undermined.
“We can regulate what we use in Nigeria, and we can also help to co-create the kind of AI that we require and need for our use as a nation,” Onyemara said.
Dr Yusuf Ahmed-Bida, Administrative Secretary of JNI, also noted AI’s enormous potential but urged the government to safeguard Nigeria’s technological space through careful scrutiny.
“Not everything should be deployed into Nigeria’s technology space.
“There should be serious scrutiny. Government must be firm in its decisions on AI matters,” he said.
Ahmed-Bida warned that without regulation, AI could become disruptive, citing examples from other countries where AI research and deployment had been strictly controlled.
“Here it is just free, but government, especially through education, science, and technology, needs to seriously regulate AI.
“A policy document should clearly define these rules so Nigerians understand what it entails,” he added.
He further urged youths to use AI responsibly, particularly on social media, avoiding applications that could harm themselves or the nation.
Mr Godwin Abuh, an AI Safety Researcher, said that proper adoption and implementation of AI policies would protect Nigeria’s interests and national values.
“AI has been built to help us do many good things, but it can also be used to do evil or cause harm.
“Most of the companies building AI are not based in Nigeria. For now, their safety instructions are mostly in English, which limits understanding for many Nigerians,” he explained.
Abuh emphasised that policies and frameworks must reflect Nigeria’s indigenous languages, values, and religious and moral perspectives to prevent misuse of AI.
“This will help people understand AI better and discourage its use for harmful or wrongful activities,” he added.
Participants at the training reaffirmed their commitment to amplifying ethical AI implementation in media spaces, promoting values, and protecting human rights across Nigeria. (NAN)
