The Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, stressed the need to have a regulatory framework in place for emerging technologies in the country.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has called for the regulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics and other emerging technologies.
Mr Tajudeen made the appeal in Abuja on Monday at the 2022/2023 Convocation Ceremony of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies - University of Benin (NILDS-UNIBEN).
The speaker, who disclosed his readiness to sponsor a bill seeking to regulate emerging technologies, stressed the need to have a regulatory framework in place for emerging technologies in the country.
He noted that though new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and robotics had immense benefits, there was a need to check their misuse and abuse.
Mr Tajudeen noted that technological and scientific innovations such as in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) are presenting opportunities hitherto thought impossible.
He also said that AI could create many benefits such as better healthcare, safer and cleaner transport, more efficient manufacturing, and cheaper and more sustainable energy.
He further stressed that integrating AI into education presented a transformative shift in how teaching and learning were conducted.
He added that AI had the potential to customise learning, enhance educational tools, and improve administrative systems, offering several benefits and also posing unique challenges.
He said despite the opportunities of AI, there were risks involved. Datasets and algorithms could reflect or reinforce gender, racial or ideological biases.
He said more critically, AI could deepen inequalities by automating routine tasks and displacing jobs.
"There is also likely to be a rise in identity theft and fraud, as evidenced by the use of AI to create highly realistic deep fakes.
"These are intended to misinform, trick and confuse people. Attackers use these maliciously crafted videos, photos and audio to create societal unrest, carry out fraud and damage the reputations of individuals and brands.
"Accordingly and in recognition of the opportunities and threats posed by AI, the 10th House of Representatives will engage stakeholders and experts on this and related issues."
This, he said, was to leverage their potential and address issues of privacy, accountability, ethics, security and intellectual property.
"We will work with the executive to ensure the integration of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, and renewable energy into the curriculum.
"Therefore, in the coming weeks, I will introduce a bill to regulate Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ensure better conditions for the development and use of this innovative technology in Nigeria.
"This will be the first of such effort in Africa and one of only a few undertaken by parliaments worldwide, " the speaker said.
Education sector challenges
"We are all aware of the challenges facing the education sector in Nigeria, including low enrollment, especially in rural areas," the speaker said.
He said despite government efforts and huge investment through the Universal Basic Education (UBEC), the challenges remained substantial.
He said out of 258 million out-of-school children worldwide, an estimated 62 million were in Sub-Saharan Africa.
"Nigeria accounts for a substantial percentage of this number. Other related challenges confronting the sector include low quality, outdated curricula, insufficient infrastructure and gender disparities.
"These existing problems have been worsened by insecurity and the COVID-19 pandemic. In north-eastern Nigeria, attacks on schools, students, and teachers profoundly disrupted education."
Cognisant of these and related challenges, the speaker said President Bola Tinubu was committed to repositioning and revitalising the education sector to make it more suited to meet contemporary challenges.
According to him, of particular interest is the need to reform and update school curricula, to ensure relevance in a rapidly changing global landscape.
"An outdated curriculum has been shown to result in skills mismatch and stagnation in innovation.
"This is important given that we live in a highly digital and innovations that are evolving at the speed of light," he said.
NILDS' DG tasks graduands on nation-building
Meanwhile, the Director General of NILDS, Abubakar Sulaiman, in his speech earlier, tasked the graduands on nation building during the 7th convocation ceremony of the institute's postgraduate academic programmes in partnership with the University of Benin, Edo State.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Mr Sulaiman, a professor, made the charge while addressing the graduands in a speech he delivered during the convocation ceremony.
He told the graduands: "As you step out into the realms of policy-making, governance, and academia, remember the profound impact you can have on shaping society and advancing the cause of democracy. Your research, insights, and critical thinking will be the guiding lights that should illuminate the path toward a more just, equitable, and inclusive future."
The graduands bagged a Master's Degree in Legislative Studies, Master's Degree in Law (LLM) Legislative Drafting, Master's Degree in Parliamentary Administration, Master's Degree in Elections and Party Politics, and Post Graduate Diploma in Elections and Political Party Management.
Dignitaries who attended the event apart from the DG were the vice chancellor of UNIBEN, Lilian Salami, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio represented by Sani Musa, senator representing Niger East; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajuden and a host of others.
