On July 18, 2024, the Nigeria National Policy Dialogue themed "Consensus Framework Towards a Policy/Guidelines Roadmap for Nigerian Higher Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence," was successfully held in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. Guided by the Federal Ministry of Education (Nigeria) through the National University Commission (NUC), the policy dialogue was co-organized by the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI) and the 2024 IIOE rotating presidency unit, Ahmadu Bello University. Nearly 200 higher education stakeholders participated in the dialogue both online and offline, including representatives from UNESCO-ICHEI, the UNESCO AU Liaison Office, the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, the Nigerian National Universities Commission, the Nigerian Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, the Nigerian Communications Commission, the National Board for Technical Education, the National Commission for Colleges of Education, Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria, Hassan I University Settat in Morocco, and Huawei Nigeria.

Group Photo of the Speakers at the Opening Remarks

The Policy Dialogue Site

This dialogue revolves around the use of AI in higher education, aiming to explore topics such as policy recommendations for AI applications in higher education, infrastructure development, faculty professional development, and ensuring equity and inclusiveness. The goal of this dialogue is to build a community of interest in advancing the use of AI in higher education by providing recommendations for policymakers to promote digital transformation based on AI technologies, as well as to develop a set of guidelines for the responsible, ethical, safe, and secure use of AI.

Opening Remark

Prof. Kabiru Bala, Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria

In his opening remarks, Prof. Kabiru Bala, Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, emphasized that AI profoundly reshapes various facets of society, including higher education. He reaffirmed that this dialogue aims to guide the innovative use of AI for the common good, outlining key objectives and expected outcomes. Assuming the IIOE 2024 rotating presidency, Prof. Kabiru Bala reflected on the efforts made in collaboration with UNESCO-ICHEI to pursue and develop Micro-Certification courses for teachers at Ahmadu Bello University. He expressed gratitude to the attending dignitaries and the partnership with UNESCO-ICHEI. He also encouraged participants to actively engage in discussing insights and practical solutions, jointly contributing to the application of AI in Nigeria's higher education.

Prof. Liang Jiansheng, Executive Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI

Prof. Liang Jiansheng, Executive Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI, expressed gratitude for the support from various organizations and emphasized the importance and urgency of holding this dialogue against the backdrop of opportunities and challenges brought by AI technologies. Prof. Liang also reflected on the enduring partnership between UNESCO-ICHEI and Ahmadu Bello University, acknowledging their joint contributions to advancing AI-driven transformation in higher education. To conclude, Prof. Liang extended an invitation to potential partners to join the IIOE Micro-Certification Project for Higher Education Teaching Personnel Digital Competency Building (IIOE Micro-Certification Project), addressing the urgent need for upskilling and reskilling in the AI era. He emphasized that this project aims to empower Nigerian higher education by enhancing teaching personnel, leadership, and learning support staff's digital competencies, ensuring they can respond flexibly to evolving teaching and learning needs, and injecting new vitality into the future development of Nigerian higher education.

Mr. Li Xuda, Cultural Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria

Mr. Li Xuda, Cultural Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, extended best wishes to attendees and highly commended the IIOE Nigeria National Center, UNESCO-ICHEI, the Federal Ministry of Education, the National University Commission, and other stakeholders for their significant efforts and contributions. He emphasized AI's profound impact across various sectors, particularly stressing the importance of understanding its potential benefits, limitations, and risks in promoting high-quality education. Mr. Li emphasized the systematic approach needed to address AI challenges and expressed the belief that China and Africa should enhance cooperation in talent development to foster mutual development. He affirmed the longstanding friendship between China and Nigeria and highlighted recent progress in AI education, expressing a vision for future strengthened cooperation through initiatives like the Belt and Road.

Dr. Olubunmi Ajala, Senior Special Advisor of the Honorable Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy; Director of National Centre for Artificial Intelligence Robotics, Nigeria

Dr. Olubunmi Ajala, Senior Special Advisor of the Honorable Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy; Director of National Centre for Artificial Intelligence Robotics, Nigeria, highlighted AI's potential to personalize learning, enhance teaching, and address constraints like infrastructure and faculty shortages. He noted that Nigeria's young and innovative population positions the country well to leverage AI for educational transformation and sustainable development. He detailed the Ministry's ongoing efforts, including training programs for AI-related skills, joint research grants, and improvements in internet connectivity and AI resources in educational institutions. Dr. Ajala specifically mentioned the Ministry's contributions to the development of multilingual AI tools and its collaboration with UNESCO on AI ethics. He encouraged active participation in the dialogue, emphasizing that the goal is to reimagine Nigerian education for the 21st century and to ensure that Nigeria remains a leader in educational innovation and excellence in the AI era.

Keynote Speech

Mr. Roger Yanwen Jiao, Chief of the Global Partnership and Programme Office

Mr. Roger Yanwen Jiao, Chief of the Global Partnership and Programme Office, gave a thematic presentation on "Upskilling and reskilling the higher education workforce for digital transformation in the AI era". He highlighted the importance of digital competencies to teaching personnel in the AI era. He introduced UNESCO-ICHEI's comprehensive support for competency building through the IIOE Micro-Certification Project, offering flexible, diverse, and customisable course resources, the IIOE platform, competency framework, and guidelines. The comprehensive support grants IIOE National Centres and partners to conduct localised training for teaching personnel upskilling. Then, he revisited the profound collaboration between UNESCO-ICHEI and the IIOE Nigeria National Centre since 2022, acknowledging their efforts in empowering thousands of Nigerian teachers through various initiatives, including the pilot of the IIOE Micro-Certification Project local implementation. Mr. Jiao also expressed anticipation to deepen collaboration with the IIOE Nigeria National Centre to enhance the digital teaching capabilities of more Nigerian higher education teachers.

Dr. Funmilayo, Ag. Director, Directorate of Open Distance and E-learning (DODeL), National Universities Commission

Dr. Funmilayo, Ag. Director, Directorate of Open Distance and E-learning (DODeL), National Universities Commission, outlined Nigeria's policy direction for integrating AI into teaching, learning, and research at universities. Highlighting both the positive and negative impacts of AI in higher education, she stressed the need to develop a guiding framework, foster multi-stakeholder collaboration, and prioritize the human-centeredness of AI systems in moving forward. She recommended assessing Nigeria's infrastructure readiness and aligning AI educational applications with regional and continental frameworks that emphasize human-centered values and ethical protections, amidst the dominance of commercially driven Western-affiliated service providers.

The Policy Dialogue Site

Additionally, other participants also contributed valuable insights on the use of AI in higher education during the dialogue. Dr. Abdoulaye Salifou, Chief Education Sector Specialist for Higher Education and ICT, UNESCO AU Liaison Office, presented UNESCO's recommendations on AI ethics and guidelines for using GenAI in education and research. Prof. Tanko Ishaya, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jos, shared experiences and challenges related to infrastructure and capacity building for integrating AI in Nigerian HEIs. Prof. Jaouad Dabounou, President of Hassan 1st University of Settat in Morocco, discussed the challenges and strategies for applying AI in higher education, considering the national context and global trends. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) each shared perspectives on AI application regulations and best practices from the viewpoints of regulators, technical education and training, as well as vocational education during the dialogue session.

Prof. Muhammed Bashir Mu'azu, Director of IIOE Nigeria National Centre

Finally, Prof. Muhammed Bashir Mu'azu, Director of the IIOE Nigeria National Centre, delivered the closing remarks. He reiterated his sincere gratitude to all participants for their commitment to the discussions on developing an AI framework for higher education. Prof. Mu'azu emphasized once again the critical role of input from the higher education sector in shaping future strategies and policies by regulators and governments. He acknowledged the efforts of the organizers and the successful conduct of the dialogue, anticipating that discussions on AI applications in higher education will continue to deepen and evolve.

This policy dialogue is instrumental in exploring and uncovering the innovative potential of AI in Nigeria's higher education sector. This will enable a proactive response to the opportunities and challenges of the AI era, and promote the transformation and reform of the higher education system in Nigeria. Looking ahead, UNESCO-ICHEI will further strengthen collaboration with Nigerian HEIs and government departments. By leveraging the IIOE platform and its course resources, and through the localized implementation of the IIOE Micro-Certification Project, UNESCO-ICHEI aims to drive the reskilling and upskilling of the higher education workforce. By building digital competencies of the teaching personnel and facilitating the integration of AI technology in the higher education system in a joint effort with enterprises, the multilateral collaboration aims to support Nigeria's digital transformation strategy in higher education and stimulate national and regional digital talent development and industrial upgrading.