The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Bashiru, has expressed concern over the increasing reliance of Nigerian students on Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to write their academic projects, cautioning that the trend undermines originality, creativity, and the intellectual depth expected of scholarship.
Bashiru, a former lawmaker and legal practitioner, raised the alarm while delivering the keynote lecture at the 12th Prof. Adetokunbo Babatunde Sofoluwe Memorial Anniversary Lecture, organised by the University of Lagos Alumni Association, Lagos State Branch.
Speaking on the theme, “Tech Governance in 2025: Balancing Innovation with Responsibility,” the APC scribe, who is also an alumnus of UNILAG, said digital technology was reshaping every sphere of life, from education and governance to commerce and social interaction. However, he warned that without adequate safeguards, the same tools driving innovation could also fuel cybercrime, misinformation, and academic dishonesty.
“Technology must be harnessed responsibly,” Bashiru declared. “While it enhances efficiency, innovation without regulation could undermine democracy, compromise security, and widen social inequalities. In education, it is already being misused, as we now see students outsourcing their thinking to Artificial Intelligence to produce research and projects.”
He noted that while AI can serve as a powerful enabler of knowledge, its misuse strips academic work of originality, weakens the culture of critical thinking, and erodes the very essence of scholarship.
