Speakers at the 49th Annual Conference of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN) have called on the Federal Government to prioritise investments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a pathway to accelerating national development.
They spoke at the conference themed: “Re-imagining Governance: Navigating Artificial Intelligence Revolution for Excellence”, held in Lagos, brought together governance professionals, leaders, among many others to discuss how Nigeria can leverage AI as a tool for efficiency and innovation across sectors.
At the conference, speakers collectively advocated for a multi-stakeholder compact involving government, private sector, regulators, academia, and civil society to guide Nigeria’s AI adoption, warning that without a coordinated action, Nigeria could be left behind in the global AI evolution.
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Former Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma who chaired the conference stressed the need for minimising regulatory risks in governing AI evolution.
Udoma stated that while AI would impact every aspect of business and governance, responsibilities must be defined and systems must be in place to ensure accountability.
He urged ICSAN to forward its resolutions to the National Assembly and recommend a clear path of accountability, assuring stakeholders that the National Assembly remains approachable on issues of technology in governance.
Group Executive Director at Chams Holding Company, Dr. Olufemi O. Oyenuga in his keynote urged ICSAN to promote mandatory AI Impact Assessments, large corporates and regulated entities to conduct prior to deployment, and make high-level summaries available to relevant regulators and stakeholders.
According to him, this is to articulate principles and minimum standards for AI governance in corporate and public institutions. He added that it was necessary to embed ethical, legal and institutional guardrails so that AI innovation would be accountable, transparent and inclusive.
President and Chairman of ICSAN Governing Council, Uto Ukpanah, said AI was not fantasy but already part of everyday life.
“Artificial Intelligence is not a futuristic fantasy; it is already a part of our daily lives. From voice assistants like Siri and Alexa to recommendation systems on Netflix and Spotify, AI enhances our experiences by making them more personalised and efficient. But what does it mean for AI to take a more central role in our world? As AI technology advances, we can expect it to perform more complex tasks,” she said.
She noted that the global AI race was not just about technology but about shaping the future of societies.
“As professionals in governance and administration, we have a responsibility to lead the conversation on how AI can be harnessed ethically, responsibly, and effectively to improve our institutions.
“Artificial Intelligence offers opportunities that can fundamentally transform governance. Imagine a future where government services are delivered with precision and speed, where corporate boards rely on real-time data analytics for strategic decisions, and where public records are safeguarded with digital integrity. This is the promise of AI when it is applied appropriately in governance,” she said.
