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Lagos State Government has urged students and Nigerian youths to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) for learning, research and innovation while exercising caution against misinformation, online risks and overdependence on the technology.
The Director-General of the Lagos State Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA), Dr. Sulaimon Ogunmuyiwa, gave the advice at a symposium organised by the Encounter Series, themed, “AI for Good: From Innovation to Impact.”
The event attracted more than 50 students physically, with others participating virtually. It featured debates by students from public and private schools on whether AI was a friend or enemy of Nigerian youths.
Ogunmuyiwa commended the students’ performances, describing their eloquence and confidence as evidence of the quality of education in Lagos State.
He said he could hardly distinguish between students from public and private schools, commending teachers, school owners and principals for their contributions to educational development.
The OEQA boss, however, warned students against accepting AI-generated information without verification, urging them to cross-check facts and protect their personal information online.
“You don’t have to trust AI 100 per cent. Take your time to check and check again. They should also protect themselves because they are still young and have a whole future ahead of them,” he said.
He also urged parents to monitor their children’s digital activities and activate parental controls on their devices, stressing that they bore responsibility for their children’s online safety.
Earlier, the Convener of the Encounter Series, a season broadcast journalist, Seun Oyedeji, described the symposium as timely, noting that AI had become an integral part of modern life, with significant implications for education, communication and society.
While acknowledging its benefits in research, creativity and information dissemination, she warned that the technology could also facilitate misinformation, manipulated videos and other forms of digital deception.
“Artificial intelligence is good. It has come to make life easier for us. It is a blessing, but it could become a curse if we are not intentional about how we deploy it,” she said.
Oyedeji expressed concern over children’s increasing exposure to digital devices, noting that some were already finding ways to circumvent parental controls.
She urged parents to monitor the platforms their children access, determine appropriate ages for introducing digital devices and encourage responsible technology use.
She further cautioned that excessive reliance on AI could undermine creativity, originality and independent thinking, insisting that the technology should complement rather than replace human intelligence.
One of the participants, Ezekiel David of Platform College, described AI as more of a friend than an enemy, saying it could help young people acquire knowledge, adapt to emerging trends and prepare for the demands of a changing economy.
In the inter-school debate competition, Platform College emerged winner, while Government Senior College came first runner-up and Mandate Private School finished third.
Oyedeji said the symposium was designed to encourage young people to explore the positive applications of AI and resist pressures to use the technology for harmful purposes.
She expressed optimism that its responsible adoption would enable Nigerian youths to develop innovative solutions to national and global challenges.
