Sokoto — A university don, Professor Lehbuma Langmia, of Howard University, Washington DC, has challenged African scholars to embrace and actively participate in the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), warning that the continent cannot afford to be left behind again.
Langmia made the call on Monday at an international conference organised by Department of Mass Communication, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS).
The conference had the theme, “Media and National Development in the Era of Artificial Intelligence.”
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The Cameroon-born professor drew parallels between Africa’s experience during the industrial revolution and the current digital age, saying the continent lost economic and technological ground in the 18th and 19th centuries due to limited participation.
Langmia told participants, “If Africans are to develop, they must participate fully and take ownership of artificial intelligence.
“We lost our position during the industrial revolution. We cannot afford to miss this digital revolution.”
He urged scholars across all disciplines to collaborate with departments of Computer Science and Engineering to build home-grown AI applications.
“We are Africans. We can only tell our stories in our own ways and culture through technology we help to create,” he said.
Former Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Professor Tijjani Bande, also addressed the conference.
Bande, who had served as President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), called for urgent regulation of AI, often described as robotics.
He said, “The whole notion of how you see the world is shaped by technology. Technology is key to national development.”
He stated that regulation was needed both nationally and internationally to prevent the misuse of AI, while maximising its benefits.
The former envoy expressed concern over disinformation, stating that “the media can be manipulated to say things falsely”.
He stressed that ethics, truth, and wisdom remained central to journalism, and commended UDUS for convening the discourse with international experts.
Vice-Chancellor of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Professor Bashir Garba, said AI had moved beyond science fiction into everyday life.
“It is here, in our newsrooms, on our smartphones, in algorithms that decide what news we see and, increasingly, in what we believe,” Garba said.
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He added that AI was reshaping media practice, journalistic ethics, and virtually every aspect of human endeavour.
The vice chancellor stated that Nigerian universities must lead research and policy conversations to ensure that technology served national interests.
Former Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Riskuwa Arabu Shehu, described communication as the foundation of society. “Wrong communication can destroy while the right communication can build stronger relationships,” he said, calling for the conference to be sustained annually.
Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, represented by District Head of Gwadabawa, Alhaji Lawal Zayyana, admonished media practitioners to be guided by the fear of God.
He urged journalists to remain ethical and positive, describing the conference as a timely and welcome initiative.