By Favour Ulebor, Abuja

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, in partnership with the Nigerian government, has commenced a three day Artificial Intelligence literacy training for senior civil servants aimed at strengthening digital governance, promoting ethical AI adoption, and improving public service delivery across government institutions.

Speaking at the opening on Wednesday, the Head of Education Sector at UNESCO Abuja, Oladeji Adeyemi, described the initiative as a critical step toward preparing Nigeria’s workforce for a rapidly evolving digital future.

He said, AI has become a major driver of the global digital economy, transforming how societies function and how governments deliver services.

Adeyemi also highlighted Nigeria’s alignment with global ethical standards, referencing UNESCO’s framework on responsible AI.

He said, “Our gathering today symbolises a powerful synergy of action and commitment between the Nigerian Government and international development partners. This partnership will equip civil servants with the essential knowledge to navigate governance and make informed decisions for an inclusive and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence.

“Artificial Intelligence has emerged as one of the key drivers of the global digital economy, reshaping economies, societies, and human interaction. Today, AI skills are increasingly synonymous with economic readiness.

“While AI offers immense benefits such as efficiency, job creation, and improved access to information, it also carries significant risks that must be addressed through strong ethical guidelines. This is a moment to strengthen our skills, embrace collaboration, and build the capacity needed for greater national impact,” he explained.

Adeyemi commended the workshop, noting that it symbolizes synergy between Nigeria and international development partners in advancing governance.

“Such partnership is set to equip civil servants of this great country with essential knowledge, to navigate governance and needed critical decisions-making skills, for inclusive and responsive AI in evolving civilization. This reality is reflected in Nigeria’s National AI Strategy and Nigeria Digital Economy Plan, which seeks to leverage AI to boost productivity, improve public service delivery in education, healthcare, and governance, enhance security, and develop local talent,” Adeyemi said.

Declaring the workshop open, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, said the programme aligns with ongoing reforms to modernise the public service.

Represented by Dr Gideon Adogbo, she emphasised that AI is now central to governance and public administration.

Walson-Jack, however, cautioned against unregulated adoption of AI technologies.

Highlighting ongoing innovation within the civil service, she pointed to the introduction of Service Wise GPT.

She said, “Artificial Intelligence is no longer a distant concept reserved for experts. It is now a governance tool that can improve planning, automate processes, and strengthen service delivery. In the OHCSF, digital transformation has remained a major strategy of this reform journey, not as a slogan, but as a practical tool for changing how we work.

“If Artificial Intelligence is not properly governed, it can create risks relating to bias, privacy, misinformation, and weak accountability. This is why AI literacy is essential for today’s civil servant.

“It is not a replacement for human judgment, It is a support system designed to help officers work smarter, reduce delays, and improve access to institutional knowledge,”Walson-Jack added.

In her welcome address, the Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties Office, Joy Baderin described the training as both timely and impactful.

According to her, the programme adopts a “train-the-trainers” approach to ensure sustainability.