Lagos: Governance professionals on Thursday advocated a multi-stakeholder compact to guide Nigeria’s adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI). They warned that without coordinated action, Nigeria could be left behind in the global AI evolution. The professionals made this appeal at the 49th Annual Conference of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN) in Lagos, themed ‘Reimagining Governance: Navigating the Artificial Intelligence Revolution for Excellence’.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Dr. Femi Oyenuga, Group Executive Director, Chams Holding Company, emphasized that the multi-stakeholder compact must encompass government, private sector, regulatory authorities, civic societies, and academia. He highlighted the need to articulate principles and minimum standards for AI governance in corporate and public institutions to ensure AI adoption enhances organizational and public value.
Oyenuga stressed the importance of embedding ethical, legal, and institutional guardrails to ensure AI innovation is accountable, transparent, and inclusive. He noted that governance professionals, whose mandate is to safeguard integrity and transparency, must recalibrate their roles and rules to accommodate the AI revolution. He pointed out that rapid digital adoption and increased private-sector experimentation with AI offer opportunities to improve governance quality, but uneven institutional capacity and outdated regulatory frameworks pose risks if AI is deployed without oversight.
AI, Oyenuga said, has the potential to improve governance outcomes through predictive oversight, operational transparency, and efficiency. He urged ICSAN to focus on converting AI’s technological capabilities into tangible gains in integrity, service delivery, and stakeholder trust. He also advocated for risk-based, sector-specific guidance from regulators and recommended that boards assume responsibilities for AI oversight, including appointing responsible executives and conducting independent algorithmic audits.
Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma, Founder of Udo Udoma and Belo-Osagie law firm, highlighted the importance of minimizing regulatory risks in governing AI evolution. He pointed out the ambiguity of responsibility when AI systems make decisions, stressing the need for clarity and guidance on the responsible use of AI. He encouraged ICSAN to collaborate with technical experts to define responsibilities and ensure accountability.
ICSAN President Mrs. Uto Ukpanah remarked that AI is already part of daily life, enhancing experiences through personalized and efficient services. She stressed that the global race for AI is about shaping the future of societies and emphasized that Nigeria must not be left out. She called on governance professionals to lead discussions on ethical and responsible AI adoption to improve institutions.
Ukpanah also noted the Nigeria Data Protection Act – General Application and Implementation Directive (GAID), effective from September 19, provides guidance on the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023. She acknowledged the challenges AI evolution poses, such as ethics, data privacy, and accountability, and pledged that the institute would proactively shape AI’s application to benefit society.