A Professor of Communications at Howard University, Professor Lehbuma Langmia, has urged African scholars and institutions to take an active role in the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), warning that the continent cannot afford to repeat the mistakes that left it behind during the Industrial Revolution.
Langmia made the call on Monday while delivering a keynote address at an international conference organised by the Department of Mass Communication, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, themed “Media and National Development in the Era of Artificial Intelligence.”
The Cameroon-born scholar said Africa’s limited participation in the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries contributed significantly to the continent’s economic and technological challenges, stressing that the ongoing AI revolution presents a fresh opportunity for growth and transformation.
“If Africans are to develop, they must participate fully and take ownership of artificial intelligence,” Langmia said. “We lost our position during the Industrial Revolution. We cannot afford to miss this digital revolution.”
He challenged academics across various disciplines to collaborate with experts in computer science and engineering to develop indigenous AI solutions capable of addressing Africa’s unique social, economic and cultural realities.
According to him, Africans must leverage technology to tell their own stories and preserve their cultural identities in an increasingly digital world.
“We are Africans. We can only tell our stories in our own ways and culture through technology we help to create,” he added.
Also speaking at the conference, former Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and former President of the United Nations General Assembly, Professor Tijjani Bande, called for stronger regulatory frameworks to govern the development and use of AI technologies.
Bande described technology as a critical driver of national development, noting that both national and international regulations were necessary to prevent misuse while harnessing AI’s enormous benefits.
“The whole notion of how you see the world is shaped by technology. Technology is key to national development,” he said.
The former diplomat expressed concern over the growing threat of misinformation and disinformation in the digital age, warning that emerging technologies could be manipulated to spread false narratives.
He emphasised the need for journalists and media professionals to uphold ethical standards, truth and wisdom in their work, regardless of technological advancements.
Vice-Chancellor of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Professor Bashir Garba, said AI had evolved from a futuristic concept into a technology that now influences daily life, media consumption and public perception.
“It is here, in our newsrooms, on our smartphones, in algorithms that determine what news we see and increasingly what we believe,” Garba said.
He noted that AI was transforming journalism, communication practices and virtually every sector of society, adding that Nigerian universities must take the lead in research, innovation and policy development to ensure technology serves national interests.
Former Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Riskuwa Arabu Shehu, described communication as the bedrock of human interaction and societal development.
“Wrong communication can destroy, while the right communication can build stronger relationships,” he said, while advocating the institutionalisation of the conference as an annual event.
Representing the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, the District Head of Gwadabawa, Alhaji Lawal Zayyana, urged media practitioners to uphold ethical values and remain committed to responsible journalism.
He described the conference as timely and significant, particularly as societies grapple with the opportunities and challenges presented by emerging technologies.
The conference brought together academics, media professionals, policymakers and technology experts to examine the growing influence of artificial intelligence on media practice, governance and national development.
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