As Nigeria continues to battle inefficiencies, sluggish service delivery, and dwindling public trust, a Salesforce developer and technology advocate, Abdullahi Abdulkareem, has called on the government to adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool to overhaul the public sector.

He believes AI holds the key to transforming how governance is perceived and practiced in the country.

“We’re in a digital era where AI can do in seconds what manual systems take weeks to accomplish,” Abdulkareem told our correspondent.

“The question is—are we ready to let technology help us govern better?” His remarks come amid increasing calls for the digitization of public service and institutional reform in Nigeria.

Abdulkareem, whose research and professional experience focus on automating workflows through platforms like Salesforce, argues that government operations in Nigeria remain largely analog, resulting in avoidable delays and inefficiencies.

“The public sector is still one of the least digitized parts of our society. Services like tax administration, healthcare access, and license renewals suffer because of outdated processes,” he said.

The tech expert believes the integration of AI into government systems could radically improve how citizens engage with public institutions.

“From chatbots for basic service requests to predictive analytics in healthcare and budgeting, AI isn’t just a tech trend—it’s a tool for transforming public service delivery,” he explained.

Highlighting the importance of rethinking government’s role in the digital age, Abdulkareem suggests a shift from traditional bureaucratic gatekeeping to a more open, collaborative platform.

“Imagine if registering a business or renewing a passport was as seamless as ordering an Uber,” he said. “If the private sector can deliver such experiences, the public sector has no excuse.”

He further recommended strategic partnerships between government agencies and the tech ecosystem to co-create solutions that are tailored to Nigeria’s unique context. “We don’t need to import foreign models wholesale. We have brilliant minds locally—developers, analysts, and system architects—ready to build our own digital future,” he added.

However, Abdulkareem warns that AI adoption must be guided by accountability, ethics, and inclusivity. He advocates for policies that ensure human oversight and protect citizens from algorithmic bias.

“We can’t afford to ignore the future. AI in governance isn’t about replacing humans—it’s about enabling humans to do more, faster, and better,” he said.

He also emphasized the need for digital literacy and upskilling, particularly among civil servants. According to him, training public officers in the use of AI tools will ensure they are not left behind as digital transformation accelerates. “It’s not enough to deploy the technology—we must prepare the people who will use it,” he stressed.

Calling on policymakers, technocrats, and everyday citizens, Abdulkareem described good governance as a collective effort rooted in innovation, transparency, and measurable impact. “Good governance is not just about policies—it’s about performance. And technology, especially AI, can help us get there,” he said.

With a growing body of research and practical experience, Abdulkareem continues to push the boundaries of what is possible at the intersection of technology and governance. His message is clear: the time to act is now, and Nigeria must seize the opportunity to lead in AI-driven public sector reform.