By Ojoma Akor
The Federal Government of Nigeria and AI experts have said that women have a critical role in ensuring that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is both ethical and inclusive.
They stated this during a two-day intensive training program on AI for women in development and public Service on Tuesday in Abuja.
Over 200 women from the health, media, public service, and development sectors were trained on applying artificial intelligence tools to improve efficiency and output in their work during the programme.
The training programme was organized by the Africa Health for Innovation and Development (AHFID) to commemorate this year’s International Women’s Day with the theme “Give to Gain.” It was designed to equip women with foundational AI skills and position them to remain relevant in a rapidly evolving digital economy.
The National Director of the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), Dr. Olubunmi Ajala, said that women must move beyond being passive users to active contributors in the technology space.
Ajala, who is also the Special Senior Technical Advisor to the Honorable Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, highlighted the importance of incorporating women’s perspectives into AI development, particularly to capture cultural and social nuances.
He said, “Most of the models developed are outside Africa. And when we need to develop our own, women have a role to play in perspectives. So when you assess the metrics by assessing how good the model is, context is one of them.
“For instance, when a mother says, ‘ Leave it for a man,’ and I say the same thing, the meanings may differ widely depending on context. These nuances are critical in training AI systems, and women must be part of that process.”
He also said that artificial intelligence has become pervasive across sectors, transforming fields such as medicine, agriculture, journalism, and commerce.
“There is hardly anything we do today that does not involve AI in one way or another. Whether you are a medical doctor, farmer, trader, or journalist, AI can significantly enhance your productivity,” he said.
Ajala further said Nigeria has developed a government-backed multilingual artificial intelligence model capable of supporting local languages.
“With this model, users can translate content into Yoruba, Hausa, and even accented English. This demonstrates that AI is relevant across all sectors and professions.”
He added that the AI for women training is a specially designed program initiative ” to actually take a step for our women into this transformative technology.”
The convener of the initiative and Founder of Africa Health for Innovation and Development (AHFID), Dr. Kunle Kakanfo, said the programme was designed to bridge the widening gender gap in AI adoption.
He said currently, only about 21 per cent of women have access to AI tools, adding that this gap is significant and must be addressed.
Kakanfo said that the initiative, initially targeted 35 participants, but was expanded following overwhelming interest.
“We received over 500 applications. It became clear that limiting participation would defeat the purpose, so we scaled up to accommodate over 200 women,” he said.
He also said AI is not taking away jobs but rather, enhancing how work is done. These skills will ensure that women remain competitive and relevant in their respective fields, he said.
Kakanfo also said that participants were expected to replicate the training within their respective communities, thereby expanding its impact.
“This is a catalytic initiative. The beneficiaries will, in turn, train others, creating a multiplier effect across the country,” he added.
The Gender and Inclusion Lead at the Policy Innovation Centre, Adekemi Omole, said that studies have shown that individuals who effectively utilise AI can improve productivity by 20-40 per cent, and in some cases up to 60 per cent.
Omole said AI is not exclusive to any gender. According to her, “it is as essential as water. If you have access to a mobile device, you can leverage AI.”
One of the participants, the National President of the Medical Women Association of Nigeria, Dr. Zainab Muhammad-Idris, said the training was timely, particularly for the healthcare sector, which continues to grapple with misinformation.
Muhammad-Idris said one of the major concerns is misinformation, which could lead to wrong diagnosis and inappropriate treatment decisions.
She said, “This underscores the need for proper training and ethical guidelines in the deployment of AI tools.”
She added that adopting AI would enhance service delivery and improve access to healthcare, particularly for vulnerable populations.
“We see this as an opportunity to strengthen our roles in caregiving, research, and public health, ultimately leading to optimal health outcomes,” she said.
Another participant, Abosede Famuyiwa, a Chief Accountant with the Legal Aid Council, said the training has significantly improved her work.
She said, “Before this, I used tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot, but this training has deepened my understanding, particularly in prompt engineering and the use of other AI tools for presentations, note-taking, and report writing.”
While describing the training as impactful, she said, “Providing this level of training at no cost is commendable. It has greatly enhanced our productivity and efficiency.”