Experts say fixing data governance and institutional gaps is key to unlocking Nigeria’s AI potential in education.
Nigeria could position itself as a continental leader in artificial intelligence if it strengthens data governance and institutional readiness, stakeholders declared at a high-level policy workshop in Abuja focused on modernising school administration through technology.
The workshop, themed “Data and AI for School Administration: From Records to Results in Nigeria’s Education System,” was convened by the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria. Held at the NOI Polls Building, the session attracted more than 200 participants physically and virtually, including policymakers, school administrators, examination officials and education leaders nationwide.
Discussions focused on how structured data systems and emerging AI tools can enhance transparency, improve governance and deliver measurable learning outcomes across Nigeria’s education sector.
Delivering the keynote address, AI strategist and Founder of Fimio, Dr. Omoju Miller, said Nigeria’s youthful population and strong diaspora network provide strategic advantages in the global AI landscape. However, she warned that adopting AI tools without building domestic expertise could leave the country dependent on foreign systems.
“AI is inevitable,” she noted, adding that the key question is whether Nigeria will simply consume externally developed tools or cultivate the capacity to design, regulate and deploy its own systems responsibly.
Participants agreed that enthusiasm for AI must be matched with reforms in data management. Dr. Agodi Alagbe, Founder of the Centre for Teaching and Learning Academy, argued that Nigeria’s education system faces deeper challenges with fragmented and unreliable datasets.
“Nigeria’s education challenge is not AI; it is data,” she said, stressing that reform must begin with accurate, validated and structured information capable of guiding policy decisions.
She identified inconsistencies in enrolment records, teacher deployment figures, infrastructure audits and learning performance metrics as major obstacles to effective planning and accountability.
Providing a state-level example, Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Abayomi Arigbabu, joined virtually to outline his state’s transition from paper-based administration to integrated digital platforms. He detailed the deployment of Education Management Information Systems (EMIS), Student Management Systems (SMS) and Learning Management Systems (LMS) as part of broader institutional reforms.
According to him, digital transformation is achievable even within resource constraints when supported by clear policy direction and disciplined execution.
Moderating the session, Chidima Chidoka, Director of the Athena Centre, emphasised that artificial intelligence amplifies existing systems — whether strong or weak. Without credible data architecture and safeguards, she warned, AI adoption could compound inefficiencies instead of resolving them.
At the end of the workshop, participants who completed assessment modules received certificates, while institutions are expected to obtain customised AI Preparedness and Data Governance Assessment Reports. The reports will highlight operational gaps and recommend structured pathways for responsible AI integration.
Organisers described the event as part of a broader push to institutionalise evidence-based governance in Nigeria’s education system.
Stakeholders agreed that strengthening data infrastructure is the indispensable first step toward building a modern, accountable and AI-ready school system — and that Nigeria’s success in artificial intelligence will ultimately depend less on speed of adoption than on the strength of the systems supporting it.
