Abuja: The Federal Government has urged the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into environmental health operations to strengthen national safety and economic growth. Sen. George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), made the call on Wednesday at a four-day National Workshop and Training organised by the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON) in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the training, in collaboration with Afri Tourism Investment Ltd, focused on ‘AI-Driven Operations and Predictive Analytics: Building a Safer, Healthier and Sustainable Nation’. Akume, represented by Mr Ifiok Abia, Director of Political and Economic Affairs in the SGF’s office, emphasized the importance of guiding AI adoption with inclusivity, transparency, and accountability to ensure no community is left behind in Nigeria’s digital transformation.
Akume highlighted that AI is reshaping how societies monitor, manage, and improve their environments, noting that predictive analytics can anticipate disease outbreaks, detect pollution, optimize waste management, and enhance emergency responses to disasters. He asserted that AI adoption aligns with achieving key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including health (SDG 3), clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), and sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11).
However, he stressed that technology alone is not enough, underlining the need for human capacity, regulatory readiness, and ethical governance. He commended EHCON and its partners for their efforts in building professional competence to integrate modern technology into environmental health practice, describing the training as a proactive step toward national preparedness in the digital age.
The SGF linked this initiative to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, which prioritizes sustainable growth, human capital development, and public health security. He identified urban congestion, indiscriminate waste disposal, flooding, and environmental degradation as major challenges impacting citizens’ health and productivity.
EHCON Chairman, Mr Ibrahim El-Sudi, noted that the workshop gathered environmental health officers, disease surveillance officials, public health professionals, and policymakers from various sectors. He stated, “The workshop will catalyse the adoption of advanced technology for more efficient environmental and public health services. It will also generate policies and recommendations to build a resilient, tech-savvy environmental health sector nationwide.”