Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Inuwa Kashifu has said that even as artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionize the world, transform industries, and even save lives by curing terminal diseases and reversing genetic disorders, it on the other hand, poses significant risks, such as bias, privacy violations, and job displacement.
Speaking at the final Volunteer Expert Group (VEG) meeting, Kashifu noted that, that is why it is essential to have policies in place to guide the development and deployment of Artificial Intelligence in Nigeria.
The NITDA DG, who acknowledged the pre-development process that led to the formation of the expert group, following the call for expression of interest on 11th August 2022 by the Agency, noted that it was based on the response that 63 experts were selected to form the Volunteer Expert Group (VEG) from the three hundred and fifty-one applications received.
“I am aware that you (VEG) have been incredibly committed and dedicated to this task, from the first meeting held on 19th October 2022, where the group was inaugurated and seven thematic clusters were formed, to the final meeting held today, 7th March 2023.
“I am aware you held over eight virtual meetings and several sub-meetings outside the general meetings to enable you to deliver on the task within the agreed timeline.
“Your commitment has been instrumental in developing this robust draft policy covering seven major areas. Firstly, Education and Research; secondly, Finance; thirdly, Health; fourthly, Media and Telecommunications; fifthly, Labour and Productivity; sixthly, General and Special Issues (such as building safe and responsible AI, ensuring Nigerian culture and values are digitally visible); and lastly, but not the least, Security.
“I must applaud your outstanding work ethic and professionalism in developing this policy. The dedication and hard work exhibited by each of you have been remarkable, and I cannot thank you enough,” Kashifu said.
The NITDA DG stated that NITDA strongly believes in partnerships that bring together diverse expertise and perspectives to achieve common goals, noting that the voluntary work of members of the Volunteer Expert Group has helped the Agency to develop a National Artificial Intelligence Policy for Nigeria that will guide the development and deployment of AI in the country.
This he said, will position the country to create and capture value from AI adoption while avoiding its perils.
“The NITDA Secretariat will now take over and continue working on the document’s design to get it ready for publication. We are short of words to express our appreciation, but we have drafted commendation letters which will be sent out to each member of the VEG latest by next week.
“Henceforth we consider you (the whole VEG) part of the NITDA family, and we look forward to more partnerships in the future. I congratulate you all for a job well done in carrying out and seeing this national assignment to fruition.
“Your voluntary work has helped us develop a National Artificial Intelligence Policy for Nigeria that will guide the development and deployment of AI in the country, positioning us to create and capture value from AI adoption while avoiding its perils.
“At NITDA, we are proud to work with individuals and organizations that share our vision for a prosperous, inclusive, and technology-driven Nigeria. Thank you once again for your participation, and I wish you all the best,” Kashifu stated.