Communique Issued At The Conclusion Of The 3rd Bi-Monthly Symposium Of NAAIP Held March 24, 2026

NAAIP Symposium Charts Course For Nigeria’s Economic Transformation Through Applied Artificial Intelligence

ABUJA, NIGERIA — The National Association of Artificial Intelligence Practitioners (NAAIP) concluded its highly anticipated 3rd Bi-Monthly Symposium on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.

Held virtually, the event brought together a distinguished assembly of technocrats, researchers, and policymakers under the theme: “The Catalyst Effect: Driving Economic Prosperity and Sectoral Innovation through Applied AI in Nigeria.”

The symposium served as a high-level platform to move the national discourse beyond the foundational ethics of AI toward practical, market-ready applications that can address Nigeria’s most pressing economic challenges.

A Call for “Nigerian-Grown” Solutions
In his opening address, the Symposium Chairman, Professor Samuel Ogheneovo Asagba, Vice-Chancellor of Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, set a rigorous tone for the deliberations.

He noted that while previous sessions focused on infrastructure and guardrails, the current economic climate demands that AI be viewed as a “pragmatic tool” rather than a luxury.

“We are here to bridge the gap between academic research and commercial viability,” Professor Asagba stated.

He challenged participants to move from being mere consumers of global technology to becoming the “architects of Nigerian-grown AI” specifically designed for local economic solutions.

Strategic Leadership and Vision
In his opening remarks, the President of NAAIP, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede, formally welcomed a distinguished gallery of guests, including the Vice-Chancellor of Delta State University, Professor Samuel Ogheneovo Asagba, and the Founder of NAAIP, Professor Emeritus Peter Akinsola Okebukola. Professor Ogunbodede emphasized that for Nigeria, the focus must shift toward how effectively the nation can harness AI’s transformative power to improve service delivery in critical sectors like healthcare and agriculture.

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“The real measure of today’s success will not be in what we say here,” the President remarked, “but in the policies we influence, the systems we build, and the lives we transform through AI after we leave this platform.” He underscored that while AI offers a path to global competitiveness, it requires a foundation of collaboration, policy alignment, and ethical responsibility.

A Legacy of Innovation: The Founder’s Charge
Adding to the momentum of the opening, the Founder of NAAIP, Professor Emeritus Peter Akinsola Okebukola, delivered a goodwill message that combined historical perspective with a visionary proposal for the future. He lauded the current executive committee, specifically commending the Vice-President (South-South), Professor Jonathan Tsetimi, for his dedicated efforts in advancing the association’s banner.

Drawing on his experience as the pioneer of the National Young Scientist and JETS competitions in the 1980s, Professor Okebukola challenged the association to look toward the next generation. He proposed the establishment of Zonal AI Project Competitions for Nigerian youth across the six geopolitical zones.

“Project on AI could be a simple model that would help the decision-making of development in Nigeria,” the Founder suggested. He urged the association to move toward “concrete things” by identifying and rewarding innovative AI models created by young Nigerians, suggesting that even in the absence of massive funding, the prestige of institutional certification could serve as a powerful catalyst for grassroots innovation.

Keynote: AI as the Engine of the Digital Economy
The Keynote Speaker, Professor Sunday Ewansiha Omosigho (FORS) of the University of Benin and the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, provided a scientific framework for the “Catalyst Effect.” Drawing an analogy from chemistry, he explained how AI lowers the “activation energy” required for economic processes, allowing for faster innovation in banking, education, and transportation.

Professor Omosigho highlighted the success of Digital Verification Systems and AI-powered automation in the financial sector, noting that the ethical utilization of these tools is the surest path to a resilient digital economy.

Sectoral Deep-Dives: Agriculture and Healthcare
The symposium featured two critical technical sessions:
1. Precision Farming: Professor Lawan Abdu Sani (PhD) of Bayero University Kano presented a compelling case for “Vertical Expansion” in Nigerian agriculture. With data showing that Nigeria currently realizes only 24% of its potential crop productivity, Professor Sani demonstrated how AI-driven precision farming—incorporating drones for soil analysis and computer vision for pest detection—can bridge the yield gap and ensure food security for a population projected to reach 359 million by 2050.

2. Healthcare Transformation: Professor Aleruchi Chuku, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the Federal University of Lafia, addressed the critical shortage of healthcare professionals. She illustrated how AI-driven diagnostics and predictive risk assessments can support clinicians in delivering personalized medicine, ultimately reducing diagnostic errors and hospital stays. She emphasized that the future is not “AI alone,” but “AI working hand in hand with skilled healthcare professionals.”

Recommendations
After exhaustive deliberations on the “Catalyst Effect” of Applied AI, the National Association of Artificial Intelligence Practitioners (NAAIP) hereby issues the following recommendations to the Nigerian government, private sector, and the academic community:
1. Commercialization of Research: There must be an intentional shift from theoretical research to the development of scalable AI products. We call for the establishment of “Innovation Hubs” that facilitate the transition of AI solutions from university laboratories to the marketplace to support Nigerian SMEs.
2. Infrastructure as a Priority: The “Catalyst Effect” cannot be realized without stable power and high-speed internet. We urge the Federal Government to prioritize digital infrastructure as a core component of national economic planning.
3. Data Sovereignty and Ethics: To mitigate algorithmic bias—particularly against marginalized groups—Nigeria must develop localized datasets. We advocate for a robust regulatory framework that ensures data privacy and transparency while encouraging cross-sectoral data sharing.
4. The “Tripod of Support” Model: The symposium identifies that success depends on a synergy between Innovation (Researchers), Investment (Private Sector/Venture Capital), and Policy Support (Regulators). No single entity can drive this transformation in isolation.
5. Human-Centric Implementation: AI adoption in Nigeria must remain human-centric, focusing on augmenting human intelligence rather than displacing the workforce. Upskilling programs for practitioners in health and agriculture are non-negotiable.
6. Sustainability and Scalability: Successful pilot AI projects in agriculture and health should be scaled immediately across different regions to provide a uniform economic lift for the nation.

The communique was jointly signed by:
Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede
President NAAIP
Professor Jonathan Tsetimi
Symposium Anchor & NAAIP VP South-South