Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
Nigeria has advocated inclusive and human-centred artificial intelligence (AI) policies that protect jobs and safeguard workers’ rights while harnessing the transformative potential of technology to drive economic growth and decent work.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, made the call while delivering Nigeria’s statement at the 114th Session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
The minister who spoke in response to the report of the Chairperson of the Governing Body and the Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) titled, “A Moment of Choice: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Decent Work,” commended the ILO leadership for its resilience and commitment to advancing the organisation’s mandate despite global challenges.
A statement signed by Head Press and Public Relations, Annah Daniel, said Dingyadi described the theme of the Director-General’s report as timely, noting that rapid advancements in artificial intelligence are reshaping labour markets, employment relationships, and workplace practices across the world.
According to the Minister, while AI presents significant opportunities for economic expansion, innovation, and improved productivity, it also raises concerns about job displacement, widening inequalities, and the diminishing role of human labour in certain sectors.
He said, “The world is moving forward at a rapid pace, underpinned by advances in AI, and we as an organisation must match that pace. While welcoming the positive transformations AI offers, we are also pondering the uncertainties it connotes.
“The DG’s Report has highlighted changes we are aware of, and are probably already experiencing in our countries; the expanding labour markets and economies, change in how work is organised, new forms of employment relationships, as well as technological change that drives policy and institutional innovation.
“These shifts, despite their benefits, also cast a dark cloud of uncertainty. Where AI creates new jobs, there may be job losses. Where digital and AI infrastructures are created, there may be a loss of the traditional role and value of the human factor in the work process.
“We therefore need a balanced approach that ensures that, while harnessing the benefits of AI, the attendant risks do not rob our societies of the gains of decent work.”
Dingyadi also highlighted Nigeria’s efforts to embrace digital transformation through strategic investments in innovation and technology.
He n oted that the federal government established the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy to drive policies aimed at accelerating the country’s digital development and enhancing economic competitiveness.
According to him, Nigeria has made notable progress in automating public service processes and deploying digital technologies to improve governance and service delivery, with AI increasingly playing a role in these reforms.
“I’m also pleased to inform you that Nigeria is steadily harnessing the gains of this initiative in our Public Service. There is the service-wide automation of civil service processes and communication with AI playing a significant role. Additionally, platform work is gaining ground,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Barrister Oluwaseun Faleye, has described the country’s position on AI as very robust and pragmatic.
Faleye who spoke in Geneva shortly after the presentation by the Minister of Labour, said Nigeria’s position deals with emerging issues in the place of work generally.
“You will recall that some of the key issues that we’ve been dealing with within the labour ecosystem have been the treatment of platform workers, the gig economy, and, of course, the impact of AI on labour and workers generally.
“It’s important that we recognise that AI is here to stay, and the more governments and institutions like ours understand the implications of AI on workers, on the role of workers and the workplace, the more it is that we’re able to, of course, engage on relevant solutions to it, and I’m glad that the Minister touched on that.
“But importantly, it’s also to look at the treatment of platform workers and the gig economy to understand how to better provide and provide support and provide what is required to assimilate them,” he said.