Throughout the history of the world, humans have had the title “Most Intelligent Species on Earth” without any rivals. However, in recent years, this title has been severely threatened by what is the result of human intelligence: Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI is the intelligence displayed by machines and has found applications in numerous fields of study, education inclusive. This begs the question: How does this affect the educational sector in Nigeria?
Nigeria as a country lays claim to the title of “Giant of Africa”. This should mean, then, that Nigeria should be at the forefront of AI in Africa which unfortunately is not the case. This problem should be addressed from the grassroots in schools, with schools encouraged to be more ICT compliant. It should be noted, however, that there has been slight progress in this regard as more schools and educational organizations are making use of computer-based methods for assessment, registrations, tutoring, etc.
Contrary to popular belief that AI is going to replace human workers in all regards, it should be seen merely as a complement to normal classroom learning. It can serve as a personal tutor for individual students as one teacher cannot cater to numerous learner’s needs on a personal level all at once. It can provide examples, exercises, and lessons on a particular topic based on the tailored needs of learners.
AI is at the forefront of technological advancement and Nigeria should lead the way in Africa. Therefore, the role of ICT in the educational sector should not be toyed with, lest we lag further behind in a race we joined late.