Experts at the 2026 Annual Corporate Governance Conference of the Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria (SCGN) have stressed need for business leaders in the country to strengthen their oversight of Artificial Intelligence (AI), establish clear lines of accountability, and ensure technology investments deliver measurable business value.

Themed ,AI, power and accountability: The new architecture of corporate governance,’ the event brought together business leaders, governance professionals, and technology experts to examine AI’s implications for corporate decision-making, risk management, and organisational performance.

.In his keynote address, founder and chairman of Digital Africa Global Consult Limited, Evans Woherem called for greater African participation in the development and control of AI, noting that the technology could deepen existing vulnerabilities if deployed without appropriate safeguards.

He said AI could help address challenges in sectors such as healthcare, education and power, but stressed that organisations must protect their data, retain human oversight and ensure that technology is developed and deployed ethically.

He urged boards to establish appropriate AI oversight structures involving technical experts, lawyers and professionals with relevant business knowledge. He also emphasised the need for staff training, responsible data sourcing and continuous monitoring of AI systems.

In her speech, Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) Omolola Oloworaran, reinforced the accountability question, arguing that AI should be treated as a public and corporate governance issue rather than merely a technology concern..

Oloworaran identified accountability, transparency, human oversight, data integrity and independent assurance as essential principles for governing AI. She also highlighted the importance of stronger digitalisation and real-time risk-based supervision in the pension industry.

During a panel session featuring AI governance expert and founder of PALS HUB Amaka Ibeji, Chief Executive officer of MTN Nigeria Dr Kari Toriola and VIce-President, Francophone Africa, MTN Group who was represented by Mrs. Uto Ukpanah; President and Chairman of the Governing Council, (ICSAN) and Secretary of MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and Christopher Ogirri, associate director, AI and Data Engineering Lead and chief AI officer at PwC Nigeria, speakers stressed that businesses must move beyond asking what AI can do to determining who controls it and what value it delivers.

Chief Executive Officer of Futuresoft and co-founder of AI CoLab Africa, Nkemdilim Uwaje Begho called on boards to establish responsible AI policies, monitor expenditure and assess how the technology affects customers, employees and business outcomes.

Discussions also explored the challenges of scaling AI beyond experimentation, the need to equip employees with relevant skills, and the importance of protecting Nigerian data and maintaining oversight over foreign-developed systems. Speakers cautioned that AI should improve productivity rather than simply replace human workers.

A fireside chat, titled, ‘From digital to intelligence enterprise: What AI governance really demands of boards,’ featured Global Head of AI at PA Consulting, USA Alwin Magimay and partner and African leader at Deloitte Dr Jania Okwechime. The session further examined the governance demands facing boards as organisations adopt increasingly sophisticated AI capabilities.

A major highlight of the conference was the launch of Corporate Governance and Sustainability Reporting in Nigeria and the 30th edition of the Journal of Corporate Governance.

The first publication dissects governance and sustainability reporting among the thirty most capitalised companies on the Nigerian Exchange.. The publication also features research on banking performance, corporate conduct, emerging technologies, cybersecurity, data governance and responsible leadership.

The journal consolidated SCGN’s commitment to research and knowledge-sharing.