Stakeholders in Nigeria’s technology ecosystem have pushed back against fears that artificial intelligence could trigger widespread unemployment, arguing instead that the innovation wave presents a major opportunity for job expansion, entrepreneurship and productivity growth.
The reassurance came during the 2026 AI Awareness Day held in Abuja by the National Association of Artificial Intelligence Practitioners (NAAIP), where industry leaders, academics and policymakers converged to examine the country’s readiness for the next phase of digital transformation.
AI will create jobs, not losses – NAAIP outlines roadmap for Nigeria
Addressing journalists at the event, NAAIP President, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, maintained that narratives predicting massive displacement of workers misunderstand the evolutionary pattern of technological change. According to him, history demonstrates that new technologies tend to redefine roles rather than eliminate human relevance.
“AI will create jobs, not losses – NAAIP’s position is clear,” Ogunbodede said. “Those who adapt and acquire relevant skills will remain competitive. The real risk is not artificial intelligence itself, but the refusal to evolve with it.”
Drawing parallels with the transition from manual typewriters to desktop computing, he explained that automation typically generates new professional pathways even as it transforms older ones.
In his view, artificial intelligence is already enabling fresh streams of income, particularly within the digital economy, where content creators, data analysts, prompt engineers and automation consultants are emerging as new categories of workers.
The event also spotlighted Nigeria’s heavy dependence on foreign datasets and platforms. Ogunbodede warned that while global AI systems are widely used across the country, their underlying data architectures are largely non-Nigerian, limiting contextual relevance.
He referenced widely used conversational tools such as ChatGPT to illustrate the point, noting that although such systems are accessible locally, much of the background data informing their outputs originates outside Nigeria.
This, he argued, reinforces the urgency for indigenous data generation and localised AI research.
“AI will create jobs, not losses – NAAIP is emphasising that Nigeria must shift from being passive consumers of foreign-built tools to active producers of data and solutions,” he said.
Beyond employment projections, the association called for a coordinated national framework to support home-grown AI development. This includes policy backing, funding incentives, university-industry collaboration and digital infrastructure expansion.
The conversation also extended into academia. Ogunbodede observed a widening competence gap between students and lecturers in the use of AI-powered tools.
According to him, a significant proportion of university students are already integrating artificial intelligence into research, assignments and entrepreneurial ventures, while many lecturers are yet to fully embrace its applications.
Speaking at the summit, the Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Uduma Orji Uduma, represented by Prof. Monioluwa Olaniyi, reinforced the argument that AI adoption in Nigeria has expanded rapidly.
Citing recent data attributed to Google, he noted that a high percentage of Nigerians with smartphone access are actively engaging with AI-driven services. He added that many users deploy the technology to solve complex tasks, from academic research to business strategy and software development.
“This shows that artificial intelligence is no longer abstract or distant. It is mainstream,” Olaniyi said. “AI will create jobs, not losses – NAAIP’s position aligns with what we are observing in real time.”
However, he cautioned that large-scale usage without local innovation could leave Nigeria vulnerable to external influence in critical sectors such as education, governance, finance and healthcare.
Also contributing to the discussion, NAAIP Vice-President (North-West), Prof. Nasiru Maiturare, stressed the strategic dimension of AI sovereignty. He argued that if Nigeria fails to define its own AI priorities, external actors could shape the technological landscape in ways misaligned with national interests.
For industry analysts, the recurring message – AI will create jobs, not losses – reflects a broader global debate about automation and labour markets. While automation can reduce demand for certain routine tasks, it simultaneously expands opportunities in high-skill areas such as machine learning engineering, cybersecurity, digital product design and data governance.
Experts say Nigeria’s demographic advantage could become a competitive edge if supported by targeted digital upskilling initiatives. With a large youth population and rising smartphone penetration, the country stands at a critical inflection point.
Yet, the benefits are not automatic. Realising them requires curriculum reform, research funding, startup incubation and regulatory clarity. Without these pillars, the AI revolution could widen inequality rather than bridge it.
As discussions closed, participants reiterated that the question is no longer whether artificial intelligence will influence Nigeria’s economy, but how the country positions itself within that transformation.
For NAAIP, the verdict remains unequivocal: AI will create jobs, not losses – provided Nigeria invests in talent development, indigenous data ecosystems and innovation-driven policy frameworks that anchor the technology within local realities.
