By: Manoah Kikekon
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IBADAN, NIGERIA — The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, Comrade Akeem Abas, has sent a clear message to media practitioners: Artificial Intelligence is not a threat to the profession, but a challenge to the "analogue" mindsets of those who refuse to evolve.
Speaking on Wednesday at a two-day intensive training titled “Empowering Journalists with Artificial Intelligence for Ethical, Innovative and Future-ready Journalism,” Abas argued that the digital revolution in Nigerian newsrooms is an opportunity for journalists to reclaim their relevance as strategic partners in nation-building.
The training, organized in collaboration with the American Open University, Nigeria, comes at a time when global newsrooms are grappling with the rapid integration of generative AI. Addressing over 120 participants in Ibadan, Abas emphasized that the soul of journalism investigation and ethical judgment remains safe, provided practitioners adopt the right tools.
“This training of 120 journalists is a direct fulfilment of our promise to move beyond symbolic leadership,” Abas stated. “AI will not replace journalists; it will only replace journalists who refuse to learn.”
He further noted that with AI competence, journalists could pivot into high-value roles as media consultants, data analysts, and tech startup founders, moving beyond routine reporting to offer evidence-driven narratives to the private and public sectors.
The event also featured the Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, who highlighted how the state government is already reaping the rewards of technology. Oyelade revealed that the "religious deployment" of science and data in governance helped the state achieve a historic ₦103 billion Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in 2025—a figure surpassing the combined totals of the previous two administrations.
“In Oyo State, the key factor behind the success of the Seyi Makinde-led administration is the religious deployment of science and data,” Oyelade explained. “Financial leakages have been blocked and fraud brought to the barest minimum.”
Oyelade urged journalists to mirror this success by using AI to enhance transparency and public trust, while cautioning that "netizens" must be monitored to ensure AI is not used for negative propaganda.
Echoing the need for ethical vigilance, the acting Vice-Chancellor of American Open University, Dr. Seyi Akanbi, identified misinformation and "hallucinations" as the greatest threats to modern journalism. He urged journalists to partner with global tech giants like Google to build robust fact-checking platforms.
The consensus among stakeholders was clear: a technologically competent press is no longer a luxury but a "national necessity." As Nigeria pushes toward a knowledge-based economy, the NUJ leadership has vowed to ensure its members are not left behind in the global media transformation.