Owolabi Akinsanya
Title: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA: EVALUATION OF READINESS TO IMPLEMENT, AND OPPORTUNITIES OF DELIVERING SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Anu Masso, Dr. Amirouche Moktefi
Opponent: Christman Roos, MA
Defense: 8 June 2026
Abstract: The paper examines artificial intelligence and governance in Nigeria: Evaluation of readiness to implement, and opportunities of delivering services to the public. The study was informed by the growing international interest on how Artificial Intelligence can be used to ensure efficiency, transparency, accountability and decision making in the public administration and issues of institutional capacity, digital inequality and governance in developing countries such as Nigeria. Second, what are the challenges to the adoption of AI in governance in Nigeria? It was planned to answer two general research questions: First, does Nigeria have the institutional and infrastructural potential of the adoption of AI in governance? Second, what are the barriers to the implementation of AI in government in Nigeria? Secondly, what are the opportunities and obstacles of AI use in the delivery of public services in Nigeria? The study used a qualitative approach with a case study method and an interpretivist philosophy and informed by the Institutional Theory. The 7 sampled strategic stakeholders in the government, regulatory, academic, civil society and private technology and public service sector were sampled to gather primary data. The secondary data was gathered through academic literature and policy reports, government publications and AI governance documents. The thematic analysis and constant comparison were used to analyse the data in order to elicit similarities, differences and commonalities in the views of the participants. The results show that the political interest and policy commitment of Nigeria towards the adoption of AI are increasing, but there remains much to be done to make sure that Nigeria is a market that is ready to implement AI. Some of the most critical challenges faced include the lack of good, reliable internet connectivity, lack of digital infrastructure, lack of stable power supply, lack of professionals in the field of AI, brain drain, institutional coordination problems, poor implementation of regulations and lack of good information systems between governments. Also, the lack of a strong governance also brought up the ethical implications, surveillance, privacy issues, and bias in algorithms and the potential of misuse of AI technologies. However, the results also suggest that AI has a colossal potential to enhance efficiency, transparency, decision-making, and delivery of publicly-provided services in healthcare, administration and governance, and other fields provided it is introduced in a staged fashion and within a sufficiently-designed institutional and ethical system. Despite the opportunities and aims of digital policy, the study reveals that institutional readiness to implement AI in governance in Nigeria is disjointed and scarce. The study builds on the literature by examining a context-specific AI governance readiness in a developing country in Africa, and highlights that the successful uptake of AI in governance goes beyond technological innovation and requires institutional capacity, regulatory accountability, infrastructural development and citizen-centred approaches to governance.
Keywords: Artificial, Intelligence, Governance, Readiness, Public Service Delivery
