Ola Akinwunmi
In a call for immediate educational reform, data and AI expert Abel Aboh has urged the Federal Government to integrate artificial intelligence instruction into school curricula, starting as early as nursery school.
During an in-depth interview on Channels Television, Aboh emphasized that without the early introduction of AI and digital literacy skills, Nigeria risks lagging behind global technology standards.Aboh, a respected Data Manager, AI leader, and board member at The Data Lab in Scotland, articulated a vision where young Nigerians are not merely passive consumers of advanced technologies but become active innovators in the field. “We need to start from the early years. When we talk about early years careers, we’re talking about people that are from nursery school. It’s crazy to say that, but countries like China are already starting from nursery and primary school,” he stated.
The expert’s comments resonate at a time when digital transformation is reshaping the global economic landscape. He warned that schools lacking internet connectivity and computer access are no longer viable, insisting that AI must become a compulsory aspect of education. “Imagine a school without internet or without using computers. It’s not possible. We’ve got to embed artificial intelligence as part of the curriculum. This is not about an optional thing. This is a compulsory thing that needs to happen,” Aboh explained.
While the government has implemented promising initiatives—such as training an estimated three million Nigerians in tech skills—the expert noted that these efforts fall short of the nation’s needs. “You mentioned a number about 3 million, that’s a good number. But in my projection, we need to be targeting 10 million young Nigerian youths at the moment, not just 3 million,” he said.
Aboh’s call to action extends across all educational tiers, advocating for the integration of AI not just in tertiary institutions like Nigeria’s 200 universities and colleges, but also in secondary and primary schools. He argued that robust AI education should encompass not only basic coding or data science, but also the development and innovation of AI tools themselves.
Addressing critics who question the viability of high-tech education amidst the country’s widespread challenges, Aboh maintained that AI could be a linchpin in tackling economic hardships. “When someone is hungry, what the person needs is food. And food does not fall from the sky, you’ve got to create it. People are hungry because they’re not economically active. Artificial intelligence will help you earn money, create things you can sell, and feed yourself,” he asserted. His remarks highlight the transformative potential of AI—not as a luxury—but as a necessity for economic empowerment and job creation in Nigeria.
Despite the urgent need for reform, Aboh pointed out that Nigeria’s national AI strategy remains in a prolonged draft stage, a delay that he described as both a missed opportunity and an obstacle to progress. “We’ve got the national AI strategy, unfortunately, the strategy is under draft and that’s sitting in the shed. That’s not good enough. We need to move that from a draft to an active policy,” he emphasized. Furthermore, he stressed the rapid passage of the Digital Economy Bill, urging the government to set a robust technological trajectory for the public sector.
As Nigeria stands on the cusp of an AI-powered future, the clarion call from experts like Aboh emphasized a pivotal moment for the nation’s educational policies. Integrating AI into every layer of schooling could not only bridge the technological divide but also unleash the untapped economic potential of its young population. The coming months will be critical as policymakers and educators reckon with the challenge—and opportunity—of transforming Nigeria’s educational landscape for a more digitally inclusive future.
