Courtesy of Artificial Intelligence (AI), hitherto below-average undergraduates have suddenly become “lecturers’ delight,” but not necessarily out of hard work. Their moving content across diverse AI software to avoid detection shows the depth that many students are going to in a bid to acquire academic ‘success’. The consequences of replacing hard work with AI amid a sharp rise in plagiarism and intellectual laziness in Nigerian students could become catastrophic if not curbed in time. Fears are also rife that poor electricity and inadequate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities – typical of ill-equipped 20th-century tertiary institutions – could forge a strong romance between students and AI, thereby shredding what remains of the country’s education fabric. IYABO LAWAL explores the intersection of AI’s laudable cause and inevitable curse.
For the first time in weeks, Jasper Alia’s eyes lit up with delight as he pored through answer scripts turned in by his students. Their writing skills, he remarked, have dramatically improved, polished, and become almost error-free. Their solutions to his assignments were impeccable and above their pay grade, figuratively speaking. The students provided answers that exposed his limited knowledge of what he knew, thereby updating his outdated expertise.
“Am I reading doctoral theses?” the lecturer mused. He went over the scripts again. “Impeccable!” he stated. Even a particularly dull student in his class aced the test. “Woah! This is intriguing,” he said as he scratched his head. The lecturer asked his secretary to invite the student to his office.
“Good day, sir. You called for me, sir,” the student said, to which the excited lecturer responded: “I am more than impressed by your impeccable script. How did you do it? Tell me the truth,” asked the lecturer.
“AI, sir,” was the student’s terse reply.
“What do you mean by ‘AI, sir’?” the lecturer asked ignorantly.
Not that he had not heard of Artificial Intelligence (AI) before, but he did not grasp the full extent to which it could be deployed in education and other fields.
“I used AI to find answers to the questions you asked in the assignment. I used AI to write everything,” the student replied.
“I see, I see. You can go,” the perplexed lecturer said.
As the student stepped out, Alia sank further into his seat and scratched his head repeatedly as he rummaged through the scripts for the umpteenth time. Before long, he noticed a striking similarity in the students’ responses. This forced him to seek the counsel of a colleague later in the day.
In the days that followed, it was indeed a voyage into everything AI for Alia.
Alia’s experience illustrates the burden and blessing of the evolution and revolution of AI worldwide and its underbelly in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, where it is striking right at the heart of education in Nigeria for good or for bad.
Also sharing his experience on the use of multiple AI tools by students to tackle tasks, Prof. Ipadeola Adeoluwa, a senior lecturer at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, in Osun State went thus: “It blew my mind when I found out that students can use multiple AI tools to overcome the possibility of detecting the use of AI to answer assignments and test questions.
“I was on a family visit and sitting with several guests. One of the people I distantly knew was doing his assignment; he copied the question from the assignment and pasted it on ChatGPT to find answers. After receiving an answer, the fellow again copied the answer from ChatGPT and pasted it into the premium version of another AI tool to expand or shrink the length of the answer and change wording, tone, and such.
“After using about three AI-based tools to write an answer, he then used another AI-based software to check for plagiarism. Upon ensuring there is no plagiarism as suggested by the AI tool, he submitted an answer with scientific references. The references cited were available online when checked. What is happening is that students now run their articles through different software to make them undetectable and clean.”
Adeoluwa continued: “This gave me a scary picture of how academia might operate. For me, the major concern is not students using AI to answer questions; it is the fact that they may not know what they are answering about, or what their answer means in the real world. What would they do if they had to intellectually think about the same or similar problem in the real world?” a worried Adeoluwa asked rhetorically.
AI tools like ChatGPT, Grammarly, and AI-powered research assistants have become increasingly popular among Nigerian students. These tools streamline research, generate ideas, and even complete assignments.
For many students, AI represents a lifeline in a system plagued by limited access to physical libraries, antiquated instructional materials, including outdated textbooks, and overstretched academic staff.
“The concerns are well-founded because of the early warning signs of happenings worldwide. In addition, we face an increasing rate and sophistication of examination misconduct, predatory publishing, and other practices that undermine the integrity of academic research and tertiary education standards in Nigeria,” said Prof. Ayodeji Olukoju, a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, and Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Chrisland University.
“Already, there is apathy towards hard work, merit and excellence in national life, and a penchant for short-cuts, immediate gratification and short-term benefits,” Olukoju explained, adding: “A national culture of rewarding mediocrity has exacerbated this in the name of the so-called Nigerian factor. In effect, it is becoming harder to know whether apparent excellence resulted from hard work and diligence or the short-circuiting of the system.”
For AI, students say ‘aye’
WHILE specific data about the number of students using AI in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions is not available, various studies indicate that a moderately growing number of scholars are aware of AI tools for academic purposes, with the attendant concern about the ethical implications of AI in cheating and less academic rigour.
However, one survey reported that 40 per cent of students have used AI in their studies. Another study found that 54.5 per cent of students use AI for homework, highlighting the potential for over-reliance. Nigerian students are also reportedly familiar with AI tools like Snapchat AI and ChatGPT.
For its 2024 Global AI Student Survey, the Digital Education Council looked at 3,839 student responses across 16 countries. According to that survey, on average, students used 2.1 AI tools for their courses, with ChatGPT (66 per cent) being the most common tool used, followed by Grammarly and Microsoft Copilot, with 25 per cent each.
The study found that despite their wide use of AI tools, the students were not confident about their AI literacy. Fifty-eight per cent of the students reported that they did not have sufficient AI knowledge and skills, and 48 per cent felt inadequately prepared for an AI-enabled workforce.
For Haleemah Rufai, a year two Medical Laboratory Science student at Osun State University, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a lifesaver.
“My studies sometimes include tackling complex equations or algorithms that could take hours to decipher. Such tasks are seamlessly tackled in seconds by AI.
Tomilola Lateef, a Year Three sociology student of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), said AI has become an indispensable tool in her academic journey. “When faced with the daunting task of writing essays, AI proves to be a reliable companion, easily generating outlines and organising her thoughts.
John Obunde, a 300-level political science student at the University of Ibadan, shared how AI has significantly contributed to his learning by simplifying complex concepts and aiding his assignments.
“In terms of using AI tools for my assignments and other projects, it has had a positive influence. I don’t experience any adverse effects on my studies, especially when using ChatGPT.
“AI provides broader and more detailed explanations than textbooks. My textbooks don’t give me the explanatory aspect of a topic, but ChatGPT gives me more information on what I was taught or the assignment that I am given,” he said.
Recalling a particular assignment, Obunde stated: “We were asked to write about the benefits of the World Trade Organisation, and how world trade has influenced tariffs and excise duties. I used ChatGPT to get a better understanding. However, I don’t use AI for tests or exams, but for my study and assignments, it helps me comprehend what I am taught.”
Lateef further highlighted her research approach: “AI does not hurt me because I know how and when to use it. When I want to conduct research, I consult my textbooks, Google, and AI. That way, I already have a broad knowledge of the subject matter. However, AI is even better than some search engines that are complicated to navigate. Whenever I use AI, it provides examples and descriptions, but that does not mean I rely on it.”
However, the situation is not the same for Esther Effiong, a 200-level student at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
Effiong said that her lecturer scored her zero in her exams because of plagiarism. “He wrote on my script that all my answers were generated using AI tools. My colleagues said I should have copied and pasted the answers into another AI plagiarism detection tool to paraphrase. This way, my lecturer would not have detected that I used ChatGPT.
“There’s another website where, after restructuring the essay, one can check to see if it still reads like it’s ChatGPT-generated. Smart students have learned to use these tools to modify grammar and restructure their ideas while retaining the context of their arguments, helping them navigate plagiarism checks more effectively,” she said.
However, some discerning educators have expressed concern over the wholesale usage of AI tools by students, and are also deploring AI detection tools, like GPTZero, CopyLeaks, Content at Scale, and Originality.ai, alongside traditional methods like assessing students’ understanding through questions, to identify AI-generated work.
Although the potential benefits of AI in improving educational outcomes are becoming more widely recognised, the actual use of AI is still inconsistent because of limited technological access, inadequate training, and disparities in digital literacy.
Leveraging AI to foster integrity, innovation in education
WITH AI technologies’ increasing availability and sophistication, academic integrity faces new and complex global challenges. It is imperative for educators, institutions, and policymakers to proactively address these challenges while leveraging AI’s potential to foster integrity and innovation in education.
Prof. Bola Oboh, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics and Research) at the University of Lagos, shares this view, explaining her submission at a recent AI workshop, adding that it was time to embrace the latest tech.
“If we say no to AI, we will just be deceiving ourselves. So, we have already started developing policies in that area as a university. In the next one or two months, I’m sure the policy will be finally taken to the Senate for consideration. Whether we like it or not, our students are already using it, and some lecturers are also using it to check for plagiarism in students ‘ work,” said Oboh.
She added: “So, we have made the students realise that while they can use AI, the idea of being able to think critically, using their thoughts and mind, should not be thrown away. It is when you just pick things online and dump them as received that it becomes a serious ethical problem.”
The Digital Education Council (DEC) Global AI Faculty Survey, which was released recently and surveyed 1,681 faculty members at 52 higher education institutions from 28 countries, revealed widespread concerns about students’ ability to critically evaluate AI-generated outputs, with 83 per cent of faculty members expressing concern.
At the same time, 40 per cent of faculty feel that they are just beginning their AI literacy journey, and only 17 per cent are at an advanced or expert level. Eighty per cent of faculty feel that there is a lack of clarity on how AI can be applied in teaching within their institutions.
Faculty with higher AI proficiency perceive the greater transformative change that AI will bring to their role as instructors and student assessment, but see AI as less of a threat to their jobs than faculty with lower AI proficiency. “AI plays a significant role in the educational sector, offering lecturers and students innovative ways of teaching and learning,” said a scholar, Glory Thomas, at the Federal University of Technology, Minna.
Amosa Isiaka Gambari of the same university noted that lecturers “are aware of AI, with a grand mean of 2.57, but there’s a need for adequate training and support to utilise it effectively.”
Meanwhile, Dr Bede Chukwunyere Onwuagboke of the Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, stated that AI tools “can enhance teaching and research, but there’s a need for workshops and training to boost lecturers’ knowledge and skills.”
AI tools in teaching and research can improve student engagement and academic performance, said Dr Charles Nnajieto, of Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education.
“There’s a need for Nigerian tertiary institutions to formally train students and teachers on the use of AI for academic purposes,” Hope Umune, also of Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, shared the same sentiment.
However, despite the niceties of AI, not all educators are that confident and comfortable with its use in education.
Dr Felix Echekoba, a lecturer at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka, said many students “copy from ChatGPT and submit polished assignments, but when asked basic questions, they go blank…It’s disappointing because education is about learning, not just passing courses.”
Prof. Idowu Olayinka, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, pointed out that with the dawn of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and widespread usage of AI, doing academic work “has in many ways been made much simpler than was the case” in the past.
“AI is to be seen as a handy tool in helping scholars learn about new topics and not a magic wand that can solve all the problems humanity faces. The scholar, whether a student or a faculty member, must be able to find ways of discriminating among the tons of information that is available on the Internet, including AI,” Olayinka said.
Banging on the barriers
INSTITUTIONAL AI governance practices remain a barrier, as only four per cent of faculty are fully aware of their institutional AI guidelines and feel they are fully comprehensive.
Just six per cent fully agree that their institutions have provided sufficient resources to train faculty’s AI literacy. This could hinder faculty’s confidence in working with AI and dissuade them from exploring possible AI integrations and uses in their teaching. The energy crisis is also a barrier.
Commenting on the way out amid poverty and erratic electricity supply, with some lecturers not having the tools to detect or authenticate the academic works of their students, Olukoju said that leaders and scholars in relevant disciplines should take this as a national emergency and research priority and find solutions that apply to the national setting.
“We also need to learn from international experiences because the problem is global. Lecturers should also develop by acquiring applicable knowledge and expertise relevant to their disciplines. Mistakes might be made, and some smart cheats might beat the system in the early days of groping in the dark, but the world, particularly Nigeria, will devise appropriate countermeasures with time.”
Sixty-four per cent of global faculty believe that AI will bring significant transformative change to the roles of instructors. Eighty-six per cent of faculty see themselves using AI in teaching in the future. Yet, sentiment remains divided, with 65 per cent viewing AI as an opportunity and 35 per cent perceiving it as a challenge.
“Nigeria’s biggest challenge to AI development is a lack of funding. Therefore, organisations and government agencies must invest heavily in AI to enhance research and development in the country’s educational system,” said Dr Salisu Abdulrahman of the Kano State University of Science and Technology (KUST).”
FG secures Google’s N2.8bn grant for AI development amid growing need for policy
TO close skill gaps and position the country at the forefront of AI innovation in Africa, the Federal Government recently secured a grant of N2.8 billion from Google to boost AI talent development.
The grant is part of Google’s $5.8 million commitment to digital skill development across sub-Saharan Africa, after Nigeria’s launch of a N100 million AI fund, which is still in collaboration with Google.
The grant will fund initiatives to train youths and support AI start-ups, enhancing job opportunities and economic resilience nationwide.
However, for Abdulrahman, who is also an Associate Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the Faculty of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, KUST, a policy on the new tech would support the establishment of AI infrastructure in tertiary institutions across the country and facilitate AI development in Nigeria.
He stressed the need for collaboration between AI and academic stakeholders to promote innovation and enhance national growth, noting that Nigeria must develop an AI database supporting research and innovation.
“So many platforms have integrated AI into their operations, and different sectors of the global economy have embraced AI, including the education sector. AI can be used in automated processes and for the development of robots,” Abdulrahman stated.
Need for urgent regulation to curb abuse
TO resolve the ethical dilemma, Olukoju called for setting global standards and domesticating them.
“This is where a cross-disciplinary problem-solving approach will work best. Experts in the philosophy of science and ethics, pedagogy, and the mathematical and computational sciences and engineering will have to develop a blueprint and invent appropriate software to moderate the use of AI to check abuses.
It is not likely, though, that abuse will be eradicated. AI might prove to be the Frankenstein monster of this age,” he cautioned.
Olukoju advised the government to give policy guidance and financial support, while also coordinating with academia and industry to develop soft and hard infrastructure that will enable the country to make the best of this technology that could serve any purpose, depending on its users’ motive and strategic intent.
On his part, Olayinka noted that inadequate power supply and limited bandwidth are among the challenges confronting the country.
“Some of these issues have financial implications as well. We need more investment in computing going forward. Higher educational institutions also need to develop policies on the usage of AI to prevent abuse,” the former VC added.
Nigeria released a draft National AI Strategy in August 2024, focusing on ethical AI development with fairness, transparency, accountability, and privacy principles.
In its recent report, UNESCO called for institutions to regulate AI use in education by auditing algorithms and data sources to ensure ethical standards.
The report also stressed the need to assess AI’s long-term impact on skills like critical thinking and creativity, while implementing policies aligned with global ethical frameworks.
To protect younger students, UNESCO recommended age restrictions on AI tools, while urging governments to establish oversight bodies for regulating AI in education.
The Lagos State University (LASU) has joined the global university community to embrace AI to advance the learning process.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, said staff must keep pace with the rapidly emerging technological landscape within the university environment to enhance productivity.
The school recently released an AI-driven conservation module in their Plagiarism Detection Software: ‘The LASU GetITRight.’
Olatunji-Bello noted that technology is a game changer in the education sector and must be used responsibly to upscale learning and adapt to global trends.
She said, “In today’s digital age, educators must embrace emerging technologies as tools for innovation and advancement. By leveraging these technologies effectively, we can revolutionise teaching methods, streamline administrative processes, and foster a conducive learning environment for our students.”
A tech expert, Felix Okwuofu, implored the federal government to establish clear guidelines for the ethical use of AI in education.
These guidelines, Okwuofu said, must address concerns related to data privacy, transparency, and fairness in AI algorithms, ensuring that the technology is used responsibly and inclusively.
According to him, integrating AI into Nigeria’s education system presents a transformative opportunity to improve learning outcomes, enhance teacher effectiveness, and bridge the gaps in access to quality education.
“However, realising this potential will require urgent and strategic investments in infrastructure, teacher training, and digital literacy. By creating supportive policies, fostering partnerships, and ensuring ethical AI use, Nigeria can leverage the tool to build a more equitable and efficient education system for the future,” Okwuofu stated.
A lecturer in the Department of Communication and Media Studies, Elizade University, Ilara Mokin, Dr Omotayo Thompson, called for the regulation of AI to reduce its abuse and negative impact in the sector.
She also tasked her colleagues to focus more on building research, writing, and problem-solving skills alongside AI usage to ensure personal growth. We must understand the ethical implications of AI in academics and adhere to guidelines.
“The rise of AI is an opportunity for Nigerian students to enhance their learning and contribute meaningfully to society. However, this potential can only be realised if AI is used responsibly. Educators, policymakers, and students themselves must work together to shift the narrative from one of misuse to one of empowerment.
“The goal should be to create a culture where AI is a tool for learning, not a shortcut to avoid it. The future of education in Nigeria depends on how this generation embraces technology. Will it be a stepping stone to greatness or a pitfall of complacency? The choice lies in our hands, Omotayo added.
While it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact number of Nigerian universities with formal, published AI policies, several universities are actively involved in AI research and development, and some have policies or initiatives related to AI, including Obafemi Awolowo University, Lagos State University, and the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA).
Stakeholders emphasise the need for the government to establish clear guidelines for the ethical use of AI in education, which must address concerns related to data privacy, transparency, and fairness in AI algorithms, ensuring that the technology is used responsibly and inclusively.
