The University of Port Harcourt’s Department of Computer Science has emphasised the importance of integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Nigeria’s educational framework. This recommendation was made at a national workshop on Artificial Intelligence held at the University. Funded by the African Center For Technology Studies (ACTS), the Artificial Intelligence For Development Africa initiative workshop was supported by the International Development Research Center in Canada and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). Ugochi A. Okengwu, the head of the Computer Science Department at the University of Port Harcourt, stressed the importance of speeding up the progress of Artificial Intelligence in Nigeria and throughout Africa during her introductory speech.
As the branch Coordinator of the Organization of Women in Science for the Developing World at Uniport Chapter, Okengwu emphasised AI’s transformative impact and called on the federal government to foster an environment conducive to its advancement. Exploring AI development in Africa is a priority due to the continent’s large population and potential for technological advancements. The significance of Africa as a fertile ground for Innovation cannot be understated. She emphasised that it represents not just progress but a revolutionary change in technology.
Primary and secondary school children to be familiar with technology.
Prof. Bourdillon Omijeh, the Director of the Center for Information and Telecommunication Engineering (CITE) at the University of Port Harcourt, announced a upcoming program designed for primary and Secondary School children to familiarize them with technology. He encouraged the public to adopt Artificial Intelligence to prevent Nigerian youth from falling behind in today’s rapidly evolving society. During the workshop, Professor Owunari A. Georgewill, the Vice Chancellor of the University, emphasised the importance of embracing AI as the world moves towards technological advancements.
Dr. T.P. Singh from Bennett University shared insights on the advantages and obstacles of the technology, showcasing its versatile applications and acknowledging the difficulties that come with it. During his presentation, Tonye Lekara discussed the advancements of AI within the healthcare industry, particularly focusing on its role in medical imaging analysis and disease detection. He emphasised the wide range of applications AI has beyond health, mentioning tools like Kaggle, fig.1, and Humata that assist in research using advanced algorithms and hardware systems.
Many of the technological tools will enhance productivity.
In addition, he discussed upcoming trends and the government’s responsibilities. This was followed by a Q&A session where participants engaged with the presenters and had their questions answered in detail. Another presentation highlighted the use of AI in research, presented by Ediong Umoh of Nigeria. Tonye Lekara emphasised the significance of using AI tools such as plagiarism detectors, reference organisers such as Zotero, and AI writing aids like QuillBot and Trinka, Grammar to improve the quality of research and data presentation.
During the third technical session on AI applications in agriculture, he showcased the application of AI in the analysis of agricultural images through various apps like Picture and Pop apps to educate farmers on machinery management and tools like Plantify and Plantix for detecting crops and plants. This was followed by an interactive Q&A session where participants interacted with the speaker and got their questions answered. During the panel discussion about AI ethics led by Dr. C.B. Marcus, Dr. Ugochi A. Okengwu, Professor Laeticia N. Onyejegbu, and Dr. Legbors Barikpoa Emmanuel shared their expertise.
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Moreover. the panellists skill-fully answered tough questions on the subject. Prof. Omijeh presented on Embedded AI and Education 4.0. Discussing the impact of digital technologies like AI, machine learning, IoT, and Robotics on the fourth industrial revolution, the speaker emphasised the importance of cooperation between engineering and computer science departments to incorporate AI in educational practices. During her closing remarks, Professor Laeticia N. Onyejegbu expressed gratitude to everyone who played a part in the workshop’s achievements.