By Innocent Anaba

Emir of Kano, His Highness, Muhammad Sanusi II, has called for legal frameworks that support responsible technological advancement, adding that policymakers must work closely with legal experts to ensure that the laws governing Artificial Intelligence, AI, data usage, and business practices are not only adaptive to new paradigms but also protect individual rights and foster economic growth.

Speaking at the 19th Annual International Business Law Conference of Nigerian Bar Association, Section on Business Law, NBA-SBL, in Lagos, yesterday, the former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, governor said: “The challenges posed by rapid technological advancements cannot be managed in isolation. You must promote collaborative regulation that brings together stakeholders from the legal, business, and technological sectors to create balanced laws. This dialogue will facilitate innovation while ensuring accountability.”

Represented by Alhaji Mahe Wali, Senior Counselor of the Kano Emirate Council and the Wali of Kano, the Emir he said: “As we welcome innovation, you must also advocate for legal frameworks that support responsible technological advancement. Policymakers must work closely with legal experts to ensure that the laws governing AI, data usage, and business practices are not only adaptive to new paradigms but also protect individual rights and foster economic growth.

“The challenges posed by rapid technological advancements cannot be managed in isolation. You must promote collaborative regulation that brings together stakeholders from the legal, business, and technological sectors to create balanced laws. This dialogue will facilitate innovation while ensuring accountability.

“In this interconnected world, aligning local laws with global standards becomes imperative. As Nigerian businesses look to expand, understanding international regulations regarding technology
and commerce will be key to their success. And let me say this without equivocation: Africa is not exempt. The delusion of digital insulation is dangerous.

“Nigerian fintechs operate on platforms governed in Silicon Valley, funded from Luxembourg, and hosted in Dublin. Our regulatory frameworks must reflect this reality, or we will become permanent consumers of legal standards we did not design.

“We must harmonise with international norms while articulating local priorities. The goal should not merely be to enforce law, but to ensure that the law shapes innovation rather than chases it.
While technology has the power to transform our world for the better, we must be wary of the potential for inequality.

“As we embrace AI and automation, we must not lose sight of our ethical obligations. We must ensure that access to technology and its benefits is equitable. Legal practitioners and businesses ought to collaborate with various communities to bridge the digital divide and ensure that no one is left behind.

“As attorneys and business leaders, you must advocate for ethical standards in AI implementation.
This includes safeguarding against biases in algorithms that may perpetuate discrimination and advocating for transparency in how decisions are made.

“Technology may compute. It may optimize. But only humans can decide what is fair, what is humane, what is dignified. You must, therefore, cultivate a generation of legal professionals who are not only technically literate, but also morally grounded, capable of asking the questions that matter.

“Let me take this moment to urge all stakeholders involved legal practitioners, business leaders, policymakers, and technological innovators to collaborate in shaping the future of business law in this Intelligence Age. It is your collective responsibility to foster an environment where technological innovation coexists with justice, equity, and ethical
considerations.

“We stand at the cusp of a new frontier, one that is characterized by unprecedented opportunities and formidable challenges. Yet, I firmly believe that by working together, you can shape a future that not only embraces the innovations of AI and technology but does so while protecting the core values we hold dear in our society.