By Sonny Iroche
In every era of technological transformation, there are visionaries who push society forward, and opportunists who exploit the uncertainty. Nigeria today stands at that critical intersection with artificial intelligence (AI). Across the country, corporations, government ministries, schools, and even small businesses are rushing to embrace AI. This urgency is commendable. AI is now the world’s most powerful productivity engine, and no nation can compete globally without aggressively building its human capital.
But alongside this surge in interest has come an unsettling and dangerous trend: the proliferation of unqualified AI trainers, self-acclaimed consultants, and individuals with little or no formal grounding in AI who now parade themselves as “AI experts.” This phenomenon, if left unchecked, poses a significant danger to Nigeria’s technological future and risks misleading the public, confusing decision-makers, and eroding corporate confidence in AI adoption.
When Little Knowledge Becomes Dangerous
Artificial intelligence is not a buzzword; it is a discipline rooted in mathematics, statistics, computer science, ethics, governance, and real-world deployment. It demands rigorous training, structured knowledge, and familiarity with international frameworks. Yet, many companies today are unknowingly entrusting their digital transformation journeys to individuals whose understanding of AI extends only to social-media summaries, motivational speeches, or brief online tutorials.
The consequence is predictable:
• Misleading claims,
• poorly designed AI strategies,
• incorrect risk assessments,
• overpromising and underdelivering, and
• the spread of misinformation that ultimately harms the institutions being trained.
AI is too important, too consequential, to be taught casually or carelessly. When an unqualified person trains an organisation’s board or management, they transfer misinformation that will later shape decisions on cybersecurity, data governance, automation, workforce planning, ethics, regulation, and capital investment. Bad knowledge at the top leads to catastrophic decisions at the bottom.
Just as no serious firm would allow an unlicensed accountant to audit its books or a self-proclaimed “doctor” to treat patients, Nigeria must not allow individuals without recognised AI training to become the custodians of the nation’s digital future.
The Corporate Risk: Wrong AI Advice Can Cost Millions
Across several sectors, banking, insurance, telecoms, law, education, security, and the public service, AI is now becoming central to operations. Boards increasingly depend on expert advisors to guide them on matters such as:
• AI governance and board oversight
• Ethical and responsible AI
• Data privacy and cybersecurity
• AI-driven business models
• Workforce transformation and upskilling
• AI regulation and compliance
• Automation and productivity optimisation
This requires credible expertise. Yet many boards have now unknowingly relied on trainers whose qualifications are unverifiable or who lack the academic grounding to properly interpret or teach AI concepts. Wrong AI guidance can lead to:
• Investments in technologies the company does not need
• Exposure to legal and regulatory risks
• Job losses based on false assumptions
• Inappropriate or unsafe use of customer data
• Misalignment between AI strategy and corporate objectives
• Technology failures that cost millions or damage reputations
No responsible organisation should gamble with something this foundational.
Companies Must Demand Verified AI Qualifications
To reverse this trend, Nigerian organisations must insist that their AI trainers demonstrate:
1. Formal AI education from top-tier international institutions.
2. Evidence of AI training certifications (not two-hour online courses).
3. Experience delivering AI programmes to boards and senior management.
4. Knowledge of global AI policy, ethics, governance, and regulation.
5. A verifiable track record in AI deployment, research, or consulting.
6. Membership in recognised professional AI bodies.
Just as auditors show their ICAN, ACCA, or CPA certification and lawyers present their call-to-bar credentials, AI trainers should equally be held to a clear standard of competence.
The Nigerian corporate environment must rise above the dangerous assumption that “anyone can teach AI.” AI is technical. AI is complex. AI is specialised. And AI instruction, especially at board and leadership levels, requires deep expertise backed by both academic training and real experience.
Why Nigeria Needs an AI Training & Professional Regulation Framework
The vacuum in Nigeria’s AI education landscape has created an environment where misinformation thrives. This is why Nigeria urgently needs a formal AI Training and Management Regulation Framework, similar to or under the supervision of professional bodies like the following:
• The Council for Legal Education
• Medical & Dental Council of Nigeria
• Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN)
• Nigerian Institute of Management
• COREN for engineers
Such a framework should establish:
• Minimum standards for AI trainers and consultants
• Certification requirements
• A national registry of qualified AI practitioners
• Accreditation of AI training institutions
• Ethical guidelines and compliance frameworks
• Penalties for false claims or professional misconduct
Without regulation, the market will continue to be polluted by misinformation peddlers who confuse the public and undermine national AI readiness.
Who Should Train Nigeria? Recommended Institutions
For organisations seeking credible AI training, locally and internationally, the following institutions represent global and national benchmarks in AI education:
Internationally Recognised AI Training Institutions
• University of Oxford, Saïd Business School (AI for Business)
• MIT, Sloan & CSAIL Artificial Intelligence programmes
• Stanford University, AI & Machine Learning Certificates
• Harvard University, Digital Transformation & AI Strategy
• Carnegie Mellon University, Machine Learning Department
• Imperial College London, AI and Data Science Programme
• University of Cambridge, AI Strategy and Governance
These institutions provide rigorous, world-class training delivered by industry and academic leaders.
Credible Local and Regional AI Training Bodies
• GenAI Learning Concepts Ltd: A leading Nigerian AI consulting and training company headed by an Oxford-trained AI expert.
• Nigerian National AI Strategy Committee (capacity-building programmes)
• NITDA/Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy initiatives
• Data Science Nigeria (DSN)
• African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS)
• University of Lagos AI Research Lab
• University of Abuja AI Centre
Nigeria has the talent and institutions to build capacity; what is needed is regulation, quality assurance, and leadership.
A Call to Protect Nigeria’s Digital Future
Artificial intelligence is the foundation of the 21st-century economy. Every major leap, finance, healthcare, security, productivity, climate, e-commerce, will be driven by AI. This means the quality of Nigeria’s AI trainers today will directly shape the nation’s competitiveness tomorrow.
Nigeria cannot afford to allow misinformation merchants to mislead its leaders.
We cannot build a world-class digital economy on shallow expertise.
We cannot entrust our national future to unqualified hands.
This is the time for organisations, government and private, to insist on excellence, credibility, and professional standards. AI training must be treated with the same seriousness as accounting, medicine, law, and engineering.
For Nigeria to compete globally, the custodians of AI knowledge must themselves be properly trained, certified, and regulated. Anything less is a risk we cannot afford.
Note: Sonny Iroche is the Executive Chairman of GenAI Learning Concepts Ltd, a leading artificial intelligence consulting and training company in Nigeria. He sits on the boards of some companies. A former Senior Academic Fellow at the African Studies Centre, University of Oxford, he recently graduated from the Postgraduate Programme in Artificial Intelligence for Business at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. He is a member of Nigeria’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Committee and also serves on UNESCO’s Technical Working Group on AI Readiness Assessment Methodology. He remains an active voice in promoting AI readiness, governance, and economic transformation across Nigeria and Africa.
