Stakeholders at Womenovate 4th World Education Day Conference (WEDC25) have renewed calls for increased investments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to address the educational disparity in underserved regions across Africa.
The experts made the call at an event to commemorate the World Education Day Conference 2025, organised by Womenovate on Friday in Abuja.
The event with the theme, “Learning for Lasting Peace: Educational Equity Through AI—Tools for Advancing Education in Underserved Areas,” explored the nexus between education and AI, seeking solutions that promote resilience and sustainable development.
Motunrayo Opayinka, CEO of Womenovate, highlighted AI’s transformative role in reshaping education in Africa, particularly in tackling long-standing challenges in underserved areas.
Opayinka said, “AI offers a unique opportunity to rewrite Africa’s educational story by addressing our unique challenges and providing localized solutions,”.
Read also: Expert advocates responsible adoption of AI in academia
She called for urgent investments in infrastructure, funding and public awareness to accelerate AI’s adoption, warning that Africa risks being sidelined in the global technology landscape without immediate action.
“AI has the power to revolutionize education, but its success hinges on our ability to overcome the barriers to access and adoption,” Opayinka remarked.
Felista Afu, Senior Partnerships Manager at AfriLabs, underscored the critical role of collaboration between governments, the private sector and innovation hubs.
“Government must establish enabling policies, while the private sector and innovation hubs provide the necessary support to equip young people with the technology skills required for the 21st-century workforce,” Afu said.
Read also: AI and the future of African business
She emphasised d the importance of ensuring inclusivity, not only in terms of gender, but also for marginalised communities in Africa to bridge the digital divide and create equitable opportunities.
Kashifu Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), reiterated the Agency’s commitment to equip Nigerians with the skills needed to thrive in the digital age.
Represented by Ahmed Tambowa, Acting Director of Digital Literacy and Capacity Building, Abdullahi addressed the opportunities and risks of AI.
“AI will create more jobs than it will replace, opening doors to higher-paying roles while automating lower-paying ones,” Tambowa noted.
He outlined NITDA’s “110-100 approach” to digital literacy, which has seen phased implementation in the past year. Phase 1: It targeted one percent of the overall goal (30,000 individuals) which was completed last year. Phase 2: Training 10% of the target (60,000 individuals) across multiple cohorts. Phase 3: Aiming to train additional 90,000 participants this year.
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