Stakeholders to examine AI ethics at Lagos summit

Nigeria’s leading human resources body will next year bring together academics, policymakers, and industry executives in Lagos to examine the ethical, economic, and governance implications of artificial intelligence as adoption of the technology accelerates across sectors.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria said its third international academic conference, scheduled for 2–3 June 2026, will focus on how AI is reshaping work, knowledge systems, and public administration, while raising questions around regulation, accountability, and social impact.

The event, themed “Artificial Intelligence in Academia, Industry and Government: Navigating Ethics, Innovation and Impact”, comes as organisations across Nigeria and other emerging markets increasingly deploy AI tools in decision-making, recruitment, productivity, and service delivery.

Speaking ahead of the conference, the President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria, Mallam Ahmed Ladan Giobir, said the aim was to move discussions on artificial intelligence beyond theoretical debate into practical policy and workplace outcomes.

“AI is already influencing how we create knowledge, run businesses, and design public policy,” he said in a statement. “This conference will move the conversation from hype to substance, bringing academics, industry leaders, and policymakers into the same room to translate research into real solutions that serve people and protect societal values.”

The conference is expected to draw participants from academia, human resource management, public service, technology, and entrepreneurship, alongside students and early-career professionals. Organisers said this mix was intended to bridge gaps between research, policy, and industry practice.

Sessions will be structured around themes including AI ethics in practice, human–AI collaboration, and AI-driven sustainability, with discussions expected to address regulatory frameworks, bias in algorithmic systems, and the implications of automation for employment.

The push comes as governments and institutions globally attempt to keep pace with rapid advances in AI, which has moved from experimental use cases to mainstream deployment across sectors including finance, education, and public administration.

In Nigeria, where digital infrastructure and regulatory frameworks are still evolving, the challenge of balancing innovation with governance has become increasingly pronounced, particularly as organisations adopt AI tools without fully developed oversight structures.

CIPM said it expects the conference to generate recommendations on responsible innovation and evidence-based policymaking, with a focus on ensuring that AI deployment strengthens institutional capacity without undermining ethical standards or workforce stability.

The institute added that outcomes from the discussions could help shape future guidelines for the integration of AI into workplace systems and public sector operations, as Nigeria positions itself within a rapidly evolving global technology landscape.