The Federal Executive Council has been urged to submit a bill for the enactment of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy that would regulate its use by the second quarter of 2026.

The National Assembly has also been told to review and enact the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy into law by the fourth quarter of 2026.

A member of the House of Representatives, Donald Ojogo, and a renowned account/management consultant, Dr. Awe Agboluga, spoke yesterday while delivering their keynote addresses at Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), College of Social and Management Sciences’ One-Day Research Conference with the theme: “Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Development: Implications for Government, Economy, Society and Policy Making in Nigeria.”

Ojogo, who is representing Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, stressed that interdisciplinary research is essential to bridge the gap between AI technology and its practical implications.
The federal lawmaker, who was represented by a former Chief Press Secretary to former governor Rotimi Akeredolu in Ondo State, Mr. Richard Olatunde, added that developing and deploying AI technologies to address immediate needs in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education, environmental protection, among others, has become imperative.

“This involves collaborations between computer scientists, economists, sociologists, and environmental scientists to create holistic solutions that are both technologically sound and culturally relevant.

“For instance, integrating indigenous knowledge systems with AI-based models could lead to innovations that are uniquely suited to local challenges, thereby enhancing community acceptance and effectiveness.”

He particularly said that Artificial Intelligence holds significant potential for driving sustainable development in the riverine areas, a region with unique challenges and burgeoning opportunities.

Ojogo, who also called for continuous monitoring and evaluation to assess the impact and sustainability of AI, said, “Future research could, therefore, develop advanced analytical tools and methodologies to measure the effectiveness of AI technologies in real-time.”

In his own paper, Dr. Agboluga recommended that the Federal Government of Nigeria should develop a national AI cybersecurity protocol to safeguard financial institutions and corporate governance.

He also tasked the EFCC and professional bodies like ANAN and ICAN to develop AI ethics training programmes to address algorithmic bias and promote ethical governance, adding that the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy should strengthen the enforcement of the NDPR to ensure data privacy and security in AI deployment.

The ABUAD DVC (Administration), Prof. Olasupo Ijabadeniyi, who represented the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, at the event, said the university is taking proactive steps to align its curriculum and research priorities with the technologies shaping our future by introducing various skills to students across all colleges.

In his address, the Provost of SMS, ABUAD, Prof. Olayinka Aina, who doubles as the DVC (Academics), said research and innovation are not abstract ideals at the institution, but they are lived values, and the university has distinguished itself as a centre of excellence in teaching, research, and development.

“As part of our responsibility to the digital revolution, ABUAD has also secured approval from the NUC to commence data-related degrees from the 2025/2026 academic session, namely: BSc Data Science, BSc Cybersecurity.”