Tunji Alausa, minister of Education has said the ministry is ready to integrate Al into the country’s Education sector.
Gatekeepers News reports that the minister said this during a press briefing to commemorate the International Day of Education themed “Al and Education: Preserving Human Agency in a World of Automation”.
The minister who was represented by Ejeh Usman, director of polytechnics in the ministry, promised to incorporate Al education into curricula by focusing on its potential, limitations, and ethical implications.
Alausa noted that preserving human agency in a world of automation required a proactive and strategic approach to Al in education.
The minister added that this would be a starting point for addressing the intersection of Al and education by prioritising human agency and responsible Al development.
He said, “As we navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of Artificial Intelligence (Al), we must prioritise human agency in education.”
“We must ensure that Al enhances, rather than replaces, educators’ vital role in shaping young minds.”
“Our vision is to harness the potential of Al to augment teaching and learning while safeguarding the unique qualities that make us human.”
“We aim to create an education system that seamlessly integrates Al, empowering students to thrive in a world where automation is increasingly prevalent.”
Alausa further said the ministry had integrated platforms providing comprehensive insights into tertiary institutions and admission nationwide.
He highlighted other areas of digitalisation as e-learning platforms for teachers, learners, and all educators.
The minister said, “We have Inspire for Students. This brings the classroom closer while Ignite for Teachers helps educators put lesson plans together.”
“Tertiary Information System (TIS) portal has been developed to house the data of undergraduates in tertiary institutions as part of data digitalisation.”
“Nigeria Learning Passport is designed to provide online materials for students in primary, junior and secondary which provide free access to more than 15,000 learning content for students across the country.”
“We also have digitalised services – the processes of evaluation and accreditation of academic records are now being automated, therefore making the process less cumbersome.”
Alausa also highlighted some of the areas of application of Al in education including smart content creation, virtual and augmented reality, gamification, data-driven insights, assistive technology, predictive analytics, speech recognition, and Al chatbots.
He pledged to strengthen collaborations with international partners, education experts and educators to ensure that the approach used is in line with best practices.
The minister said the ministry was ready to establish an Al in Education Task Force to develop guidelines and standards for teacher training.
