As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly reshapes the global education landscape, Nigeria faces a defining moment in the future of its classrooms: embrace the technology and prepare teachers for a new era of learning, or risk being left behind.
While concerns persist over the possibility of AI replacing human teachers, education experts argue that the real opportunity lies not in eliminating teachers but in equipping them with the digital skills, knowledge and tools to harness the technology.
As AI-powered learning platforms, automated assessment systems and digital teaching assistants gain ground, the question is no longer whether AI will change education, but how prepared Nigeria’s teachers are to lead that transformation.
Isaiah Ogundele, an educationist, noted that if any teacher wants to be relevant in his or her field in the face of AI evolution, he needs upskilling because contemporary students are not analog but versed in Information Technology.
Ogundele said that the government should assist teachers to update themselves by providing them with the opportunity and financial support to run through the training.
“AI should be part of the curriculum from primary to tertiary institutions. Once it is incorporated into the curriculum and scheme, it will definitely bridge the gap before a child graduates.
“We don’t need to make it a stand-alone subject because it is still part of IT. AI cannot replace human roles in the teaching industry because when you are using some apps such as ChatGPT, Nino Banana, Gemini, and so on, it’s what you input as your prompt that AI will bring as your result,” he said.
Speaking about teacher training, Tunji Alausa, the minister of education, on a Channels TV live programme revealed that the federal government has upskilled about 50,000 teachers to ensure their professional development digitally.
In its efforts to modernise teaching and ensure professional standards, the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), promised to develop an AI-powered lesson system to generate classroom resources for teachers.
Ronke Soyombo, the registrar of TRCN, earlier in September, explained that the standardised lesson plans would support teachers and provide the foundation for an AI-powered system capable of generating classroom materials.
Jessica Osuere, the chief executive officer at RubiesHub Educational Services, noted that Nigerian teachers need AI literacy, digital competence, critical thinking, creativity and the ability to use AI tools to personalise learning, develop instructional materials and assess students’ progress.
“Teachers need to have the skills to distinguish reliable AI-generated information from misinformation; and must retain the human skills of empathy, mentorship, communication and emotional intelligence, which technology cannot adequately replace,” she said.
However, across the country, many prospective teachers are still being trained for conventional classrooms rather than the realities of emerging technology-driven learning environments. Hence, the need for the urgent review of teacher education curriculum to bridge this gap. AI literacy should become an essential component of the Nigerian education curriculum.
Osuere reiterated that teachers’ digital skills should go beyond merely teaching students how to use AI tools.
“It should include responsible use, ethical considerations, fact-checking, data privacy and critical evaluation of AI-generated content. Students must learn to use AI to enhance their thinking, not outsource their thinking to machines.
“There’s a need for curriculum reform, continuous professional development, equipping schools with reliable internet connectivity, digital devices and accessible AI learning platforms and very serious and consistent public-private partnerships,” she noted.
In the face of AI evolution, Nigeria and other developing countries of the world face a contradiction: as advanced countries are embracing AI-powered education, millions of Nigerian children have never stepped inside a functioning digital classroom.
Many schools lack consistent electricity, internet connectivity, or even functional furniture, prerequisites for any AI deployment, and in public classrooms, a single teacher may manage 55 or more students, making personalised instruction nearly impossible.
Worst still, many of the teachers lack the needed skills to drive AI literacy across schools. Consequently, many teachers worry that AI will take over their jobs, a concern many believe is rooted in a lack of adequate training for contemporary classroom work.
The teachers who stand before the students are expected to know more than their learners, especially in this digital era.
UNESCO-supported initiatives such as the Naija Teacher AI programme aim to train 1.5 million educators to use AI as an assistant, not a replacement.
The evidence is clear: AI succeeds when teachers are part of the design phase, not just the deployment phase.
Blessing Ema, an educator, emphasised that Nigerian teachers need digital skills in order to be able to stay abreast of new things and new trends.
“I’m doing an AI mastery course for teachers; it’s an online programme.
“For any teacher to be relevant, he or she should have what I call lifelong desire for learning,” she said.
Charles Ogwo is a proactive journalist, driving education, and business innovations for over 10 years.
He leads initiatives leveraging tech to enhance storytelling and build topnotch performing team.
Charles is passionate about harnessing technology to inform, engage and empower communities.
