The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of Nigeria has announced its plans to engage technology companies in addressing the potential harms associated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in the country. This initiative was revealed by the NHRC’s Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu SAN, during an AI Governance webinar. The webinar, organized by the International Network for Corporate Social Responsibility (IN-CSR), the NHRC, the United Nations Working Group, and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), explored the governance of AI in Nigeria. The discussions are timely, following the African Union’s approval of the Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy, which emphasizes the integration of AI into both public and private sectors across member states, including Nigeria.
Ojukwu emphasized the need for robust ethical frameworks to govern AI usage, stressing that AI, if not properly managed, could lead to discrimination, algorithmic bias, privacy violations, and human rights infringements. However, he sees AI as a significant opportunity for the NHRC to expand its role in the digital space. The Commission plans to work with tech companies to ensure AI systems are transparent, enabling independent audits and accountability. This would help mitigate the risks of discrimination and harm while promoting fair practices in AI development.
The NHRC intends to implement human rights due diligence (HRDD) within AI-related technologies, requiring companies to conduct thorough assessments to identify and address potential harms before deploying such technologies. Ojukwu also underscored the importance of human oversight in the growing sophistication of AI systems. He emphasized the NHRC’s unique position as a bridge between government agencies, tech innovators, academics, and civil society organizations, facilitating dialogue and collaboration on AI governance and ensuring that human rights considerations are at the forefront of technological advancements.
At the same event, Kashifu Inuwa Abdulahi, Director General of NITDA, highlighted the agency’s efforts to mitigate AI-associated risks by developing diverse and high-quality local data sets. These data sets aim to train AI models that are equitable, inclusive, and free from biases often found in foreign data sets. NITDA is also working on Nigeria’s first government-backed large-language model, trained in multiple Nigerian languages, to better represent the nation’s linguistic diversity in AI applications. The initiative showcases Nigeria’s commitment to ensuring that AI systems deployed in the country are transparent, fair, and accountable, serving all segments of Nigerian society.
source: naira metrics