Experts urge Africa to embrace AI without losing cultural identity

By : Owede Agbajileke

Date: 10 December 2025 9:52am WAT

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Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Experts have stressed the importance of Africa adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a manner that preserves the continent’s cultural values and intellectual heritage.

They posited that while AI presents enormous opportunities for development, it must be deployed thoughtfully to avoid eroding local languages, traditions, and knowledge systems.

According to them, Africa’s approach to AI should be rooted in frameworks that reflect indigenous perspectives, protect community knowledge, and ensure that technology serves the continent’s unique social and cultural realities.

They spoke in Abuja on Tuesday at a two-day regional workshop on Open Educational Resources (OER) Practices in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Organised by the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), the event brought together academics, policymakers, technology experts, and development partners from across Africa and beyond, under the theme “Emerging Issues in OER Practices in the Age of AI.”

Declaring the workshop opened, the Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Prof Olufemi Peters affirmed the Institution’s commitment to innovations that respect diversity and promote inclusive learning across the continent.

Represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Chiedu Mafiana, said the workshop is timely, following global discussions on the future of learning in an AI-driven world. “AI presents exciting possibilities for education, yet it must be used with great care. African institutions must lead with their values, not merely adopt foreign models. “Our knowledge systems, our histories, and our cultural perspectives matter deeply. We must build tools and policies that reflect the realities of our people. NOUN will continue to champion open, accessible, and culturally grounded learning.”

He encouraged participants to use the workshop to build networks that would sustain regional collaboration beyond the two-day event.

On her part, Deputy Director of RETRIDOL, Professor Dorothy Ofoha, said the workshop comes at a time when institutions globally are re-evaluating the role of AI in education.

She emphasised that while the technology offers immense potential, African countries must protect their unique values and identities as they adopt AI tools.

Her words: “We are entering a period of profound change in how knowledge is created and shared. AI has the power to support more flexible, inclusive, and high-quality learning. “Yet, we must ensure these tools do not override our cultural and educational values. Africa must use AI to strengthen, not dilute, our systems. This workshop is where we begin to shape that responsible path.”

She added that participants would collaborate to design frameworks and policies that support AI-enhanced OER development grounded in African contexts. She also acknowledged resource experts Professor Francis Evogare and Professor Juliette Inebere for their contributions to OER advancement.

Also, Professor Jane-Frances Agbu, Adviser on Higher Education at the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) in Vancouver, reiterated that COL remains committed to expanding learning opportunities throughout the Commonwealth by promoting openness, partnership, and the strategic use of technology.

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