PHILOSOPHIA POLITICA

Nigeria lacks a specific AI law, currently. This work presents available AI ethics and regulatory framework in Nigeria, while pushing for legislation on Nigeria’s AI law. One objective of this work is to bring to the fore the progress so far made by the Nigerian government toward regulating AI innovation and deployment in the Nigerian digital ecosystem. Another objective is to advocate for a specific AI law in Nigeria. The study sourced data from national AI documents, reports, journal articles, book chapters, and AI conference proceedings. Specifically, the authors analysed the National AI Strategy draft from a first-hand experience, having been critical members of its drafting during the National AI Strategy workshop in April 2024. Additionally, the author’s participation in the national technical working group on the Readiness Assessment Methodology of the UNESCO Recommendations for the Ethics of AI in July 2024, and the national conference of the national association of social and political philosophers and AI ethics researchers during the UNESCO World Philosophy Day in November 2024, provided more information on Nigeria’s drive towards AI regulation. Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria, stands at a humongous threshold of leveraging AI for high-impact transformation. Her youthful population and growing tech scene are veritable foundations for the development and adoption of AI. However, the absence of a definitive legislation for AI development and deployment is expected to usher in responsible AI in Nigeria. Nigerian AI ethicists have proposed “Decoloniality” as a new AI ethics principle in addition to already established principles of responsibility, accountability, transparency, explainability, fairness, trust and trustworthiness, fairness, privacy, data protection, safety, inclusivity, solidarity, and humanity

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