Governor Peter Mbah has said artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies should be viewed as tools for enhancing teachers’ work, not threats to their jobs.
Mbah made the remarks at the 59th National Conference of Delegates of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), held in Enugu. He said the conference theme, on whether AI could erode the place of teachers in the classroom, was timely given how fast the technology is spreading.
He said there was no justification for resisting AI. He compared its rise to the impact of the steam engine during the Industrial Revolution.
“AI can assist the teacher. It can personalise learning, support lesson preparation, identify learning gaps and expand access to knowledge,” Mbah said. “But it cannot replace the human qualities that make a teacher a teacher – the ability to inspire, to mentor, to understand a child’s individual circumstances, to build character and to kindle ambition.”
He summed up his position simply: “The future is therefore not teacher versus technology. The future is teacher with technology.”
Governor Calls For Ethical Safeguards On AI Use
Mbah said the deployment of AI in education needs appropriate safeguards. He listed ethical standards, data protection, responsible regulation and continuous training for teachers as critical measures.
He said teachers should not become victims of the technological shift. Instead, he said they should be positioned as “principal beneficiaries and drivers” of the transformation.
With the right safeguards, he added, concerns around AI would gradually give way to informed confidence.
Enugu Has Recruited 6,850 Teachers, Mbah Says
Speaking on his administration’s education record, Mbah said his government has treated education as a transformative tool rather than a routine function.
He said the state has invested heavily in school infrastructure, technology, curriculum and teacher welfare over the last 40 months.
He said the state recruited 6,850 teachers and other education personnel to improve the student-teacher ratio.
Education has received 33% of the state’s total budget across three budget cycles, he said, well above the 15-20% benchmark recommended by UNESCO.
Mbah also pointed to fully equipped Smart Green Schools built across the state’s 260 wards.
He commended Kebbi State Governor Mohammed Nasir Idris for attending the conference, describing his presence as a sign of commitment to education.
He also praised the NUT National Executive Council and Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria Registrar, Dr Ronke Shoyombo, for their work restoring dignity to the teaching profession.
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