Governor Peter Mbah has assured teachers that artificial intelligence will enhance their effectiveness rather than threaten their jobs, urging educators to embrace technology while maintaining the human values of teaching.
Speaking at the 59th National Conference of Delegates of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Enugu on Tuesday, Governor Peter Mbah said artificial intelligence should be embraced as a tool to improve productivity, innovation and effectiveness in the education sector.
The governor said the conference theme, “Deployment of Technology and Artificial Intelligence in Education Will Erode the Place of Teachers in the Classroom: Myth or Reality?”, was timely given the rapid advancement of AI.
He compared the growing influence of artificial intelligence to the impact of the steam engine during the Industrial Revolution, arguing that resistance to technological change would not address the challenges facing education.
Mbah said AI could help teachers personalise learning, prepare lessons, identify students’ learning gaps and expand access to knowledge. However, he maintained that technology could not replace the human qualities essential to teaching, including mentorship, inspiration, character development and understanding students’ individual circumstances.
“The future is therefore not teacher versus technology. The future is teacher with technology,” he said.
The governor stressed the importance of establishing ethical standards, protecting data, introducing responsible regulation and providing continuous training for teachers to ensure the effective adoption of AI in education.
He said teachers should be positioned as principal beneficiaries and drivers of technological transformation rather than victims of emerging technologies.
Speaking on his administration’s education policies, Mbah said the state had prioritised education as a tool for transformation, with investments in infrastructure, technology, curriculum innovation, teachers’ capacity and welfare.
He disclosed that the government had recruited 6,850 teachers and other education personnel over the past 40 months to address staffing shortages and improve the student-teacher ratio.
According to him, education has consistently received 33 per cent of the state’s total budget across three budget cycles, exceeding the 15 to 20 per cent benchmark recommended by UNESCO.
The governor also highlighted the establishment of technology-driven Smart Green Schools across all 260 wards of the state, saying the initiative was designed to prepare children for the demands of the future.
He said the investments reflected his administration’s belief that a world-class education system required well-equipped and motivated teachers.
Mbah commended Kebbi State Governor Mohammed Nasir Idris for his contributions to the teaching profession as a teacher, leader and unionist.
He said Idris’s participation in the conference demonstrated his commitment to education and human capital development.
The Enugu governor also praised the NUT National Executive Council for organising the conference and acknowledged the efforts of the Registrar of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, Dr Ronke Shoyombo, and her management team in promoting professionalism and restoring the dignity of the teaching profession.
The 59th national conference provided a platform for teachers and education stakeholders to discuss the implications of emerging technologies for classroom teaching and the future of the profession.
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