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Warn boards against misguided policy decisions
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By Henry Uche
To ensure the safe, ethical and effective adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), the board and management of corporate organisations have been told to implement and operationalise an AI governance framework before enterprise-wide deployment.
During a panel session at the 2026 Chartered Institute of Directors conference in Lagos, the CEO of GenAI Learning Concepts Limited, Mr Sonny Iroche, speaking on ‘Board Accountability in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Strategy, Governance, Operational Value, Cybersecurity, and Responsible Human-in-the-Loop Execution’, said: “The need for the leadership of any 21st-century institution that wishes to remain relevant and competitive is to first embark on an institution-wide AI Readiness Assessment before adopting it.”
Iroche outlined some dos and don’ts of AI adoption, saying: “Do not deploy AI without a business purpose. Do not put confidential data into unauthorised AI tools. Do not accept AI output without appropriate verification. Do not automate accountability. Do not allow algorithms to operate without defined owners.
“Moreover, do not purchase AI without cybersecurity and risk assessment. Do not assume a vendor’s AI is accurate merely because it is sophisticated. Do not allow AI systems to operate indefinitely without validation. Do not ignore employee training and organisational culture. Do not measure AI success by technology deployed; measure it by business value safely delivered.”
He noted that there is no Nigerian way of deploying AI in critical corporate governance and boardroom decision-making, but only the proper way, which is responsibly, securely and with humans firmly in control.
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“The ‘Alpha’ family is not about games alone. It shows how AI systems can learn, discover, optimise and reshape high-stakes industries. The lesson is responsible adoption: strong governance, quality data, human oversight and cyber resilience.
“Boards should compare evidence, approve boundaries, surface exceptions, name decision owners, track commitments, require human review, explore scenarios and verify benefits and harms,” he advised.
Discussing ‘Boardrooms as Engines of Value Creation, Collaboration, and Inclusion for Shared Prosperity’, panellists during a plenary session admonished boardroom leaders to be wary of policy somersaults, shun personal interest and other sentiments, and lead with distinction and impact for posterity’s sake.
Meanwhile, experts who discussed ‘Elevating Boardroom Standards for Exemplary Corporate Conduct’ charged strategic leaders to manage corporate time and deliver results. “What we see most of the time is a waste of time. Any board that spends more than two hours, there is something wrong with that board. Profit is good, but sustainability is more important.
“You must be courageous to take certain decisions. Continuity and longevity of the company do not rest solely on the shoulders of the Founder, but on the managers and administrators. A board is an investment, so they should be ready to spend money prudently. Sitting on multiple boards of organisations does not make you successful; what matters is your impact, which shall be remembered.
“Boards must ensure that everyone is fit for purpose. They must go beyond compliance. You have the right to question the Chairman, you must have a word of your own, you have to take a stand and uphold the trust given by shareholders,” they charged.
Meanwhile, federal and state government agencies, alongside private and public enterprises, in their goodwill messages charged captains of industry and corporate leaders to do everything legally and ethically acceptable to enhance the quality of board leadership and decision-making, purposefully, to leave a legacy that cannot be erased.
