Against the backdrop of the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in workplaces, a professor of Labour Economics in the Department of Economics, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Olukemi Iyabode Lawanson, has urged the National Universities Commission (NUC) to ensure that only courses that are relevant in today’s labour market are taught in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
 
Delivering the Seventh Inaugural Lecture of the 2024/2025 academic session of the university, titled ‘To Everything, There’s a Season…”: The Perspective of a Labour Economist’, at the J.F. Ade Ajayi Auditorium, recently, Lawanson called for the inclusion of AI-related courses in university curricula to better prepare students for the evolving job market.
 
She also emphasised the need for the labour market to embrace AI, saying it has become an integral part of the modern workforce. She highlighted the importance of technical and workplace AI skills in equipping students for the increasing demand for AI-driven roles.
 
“On the part of the National Universities Commission (NUC), which is saddled with the responsibility of designing and approving the curricular being taught in tertiary institutions, they must ensure that only relevant courses are taught in the tertiary institutions – courses which will be relevant in today’s labour market and not courses which are already overtaken by AI or likely to be overtaken by AI in the future. There should be a total and complete overhaul of courses being taught in tertiary institutions; where necessary, new courses which are in tune with global practices and which fit in well with AI should be inculcated into the university curricular. There will be a need to render some courses irrelevant and delete them from the list of courses offered by some universities. There will also be a need for the NUC to engage in the training and retraining of lecturers so that they will be up to date in their methods of teaching to match international global practice,” she said.
 
On the types of courses universities should offer, Lawanson said: “In the age of AI, universities should consider offering a diverse range of courses that cater to both technical and ethical considerations. By doing so, institutions can better prepare students for the challenges and opportunities that AI presents.” 
 
She also outlined the necessity for the working population to adapt to AI advancements, stressing that the future of work is rapidly evolving. Fielding questions from journalists at the event, the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof.  Adelaja Odukoya, reinforced the urgency of AI integration into the curriculum, stating: “This is a time for AI. It’s either we move with time or we get consumed by it. AI is not about to take our jobs, as academics; it’s an opportunity for us to improve on what we are doing; whether as students or as scholars”
 
The Head of the Department of Political Science, Dr. Maryam Quadri, also emphasised the importance of incorporating technology into education, warning that “failure to do that will lead us backward and we need to move with the tide.”
 
The inaugural lecture was attended by the University Management, heads of all the departments in the Faculty of Social Sciences, family and friends of the lecturer, among other dignitaries.
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