The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, announced on Monday that the legislative body is planning to introduce legislation to regulate Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Nigeria, with the aim of curbing identity theft and other related issues
.Abbas made this statement during the 7th Convocation Ceremony organized by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, in collaboration with the University of Benin, held in Abuja.
He emphasized the necessity of having a regulatory framework in place for emerging technologies in Nigeria. Furthermore, he highlighted the potential benefits of new technologies like AI and robotics, but also stressed the need to prevent their misuse and abuse.
The Speaker underscored how AI can bring numerous advantages, including improvements in healthcare, transportation, manufacturing efficiency, and energy sustainability. He also mentioned that integrating AI into education could revolutionize teaching and learning methods.
However, he acknowledged the risks associated with AI, such as biased datasets and algorithms, deepening inequalities, and the rise of identity theft and fraud through the use of AI-generated deep fakes. Abbas expressed the House of Representatives’ commitment to engaging stakeholders and experts to address these concerns.
“In recognition of the opportunities and threats posed by AI, the 10th House of Representatives will engage stakeholders and experts on this and related issues,” the Speaker said. “We shall leverage their potential and address issues of privacy, accountability, ethics, security, and intellectual property. We will also work with the Executive to ensure the integration of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, and renewable energy into the school curriculum.”
Abbas further stated that he plans to introduce a bill to regulate AI in Nigeria, making it the first effort of its kind in Africa and one of only a few undertaken by parliaments worldwide.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, represented by Senator Sani Musa, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, also emphasized the need for Nigeria to diversify its revenue base by returning to its agricultural roots and reducing reliance on oil earnings.
He said, “I believe that if we go back to these agricultural products and add them to our oil earnings, our revenue generation will be boosted. However, we should also be mindful that excessive government spending is detrimental to our country. In our oversight function, the National Assembly will ensure that government agencies align with the expectations of the Tinubu Administration and Nigerians regarding expenditure management.
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