The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Ajibola Basiru, has raised concern over the growing trend of students relying on Artificial Intelligence tools to write their academic projects, warning that the development threatens the originality and human depth of scholarship.
Basiru, a former lawmaker, stated this while delivering the keynote lecture at the 12th Prof. Adetokunbo Babatunde Sofoluwe Memorial Anniversary Lecture organised by the University of Lagos Alumni Association, Lagos State Branch.
Speaking on the theme “Tech Governance in 2025: Balancing Innovation with Responsibility,” Basiru, who is an alumnus of UNILAG, said while digital technology was reshaping education, governance, and society, its misuse was also fuelling cybercrime, misinformation, and academic dishonesty.
He said, “Technology must be harnessed responsibly. While it enhances efficiency, innovation without regulation could undermine democracy, compromise security, and widen social inequalities.
“On the education sector, the misuse of Artificial Intelligence is worrisome. Students are now using AI to write their academic projects. The emotional and human touch of scholarship cannot be replaced by machines. Responsible use of technology must begin in our classrooms.”
On Nigeria’s electoral system, he praised the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System but warned against rushing into full electronic voting without addressing infrastructural, literacy, and cybersecurity gaps.Related News FG unveils portal to track teachers nationwide Education emergency: Jigawa recruits 10,000 teachers Ondo varsity’ll become hub for teacher education, says VC
“Any responsible government must not sacrifice electoral credibility for the speed of technology. Rushing e-voting into our system without adequate preparation would be reckless,” he said.
He further cautioned against the dangers of misinformation and deepfakes on social media, stressing that governments must strike a balance between innovation and responsibility to protect national security and citizen welfare.
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