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UNILAG to release policy document on ethical use of AI
The management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, has said it will soon unveil a policy document on the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in academic activities to “enhance critical thinking rather than fostering plagiarism and academic indolence.” The institution’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics and Research), Professor Bola Oboh, stated this during the opening of a three-day workshop on ethics in higher education. The “Intensive Training Workshop on Higher Education Ethics,” which was facilitated by a Fulbright Specialist Awardee and Deputy Ethics Officer at Texas A&M University, Central Texas, USA, Professor Russell Porter, was organised by the Office of International Relations, Partnerships and Prospects (IRPP) of the University of Lagos.
In her remark, Professor Oboh described the training as sacrosanct, even as she emphasised the importance of ethics in the tertiary education sector.
Speaking with journalists, she highlighted the university’s commitment to maintaining ethical standards, even as she revealed ongoing efforts to develop policy documents to address ethical concerns for artificial intelligence (AI) use in academic works. The deputy vice-chancellor said the application of AI in academia is inevitable but insisted that academic institutions globally must ensure that the tools only aid the intellectual endowments of users and not disrupt quality academic standards. She said: “If we say no to AI, we will just be deceiving ourselves. So, we have already started developing policies in that area as a university. In the next one or two months I’m sure the policy will be finally taken to the Senate for consideration.
“Whether we like it or not, our students are already using it, and some lecturers are also using it to check for plagiarised works. So we have made the students realise that while they can use AI, the idea of being able to think critically, using their thoughts and mind, should not be thrown away. It is when you just pick things online and dump them as received that it becomes a serious ethical problem.” She assured that when the AI policy is finally adopted, it would enhance critical thinking rather than fostering plagiarism and laziness among staff and students. Corroborating this, Professor Porter described the ethical considerations surrounding the use of AI and Machine Learning (ML) in research and academic work as a global concern. He referenced a previous conference held at UNILAG where he discussed AI ethics and reiterated the importance of carefully implementing AI tools to avoid ethical and legal violations.
He acknowledged ongoing research works across the globe in this area and the need for continuous vigilance and adaptation. Also speaking during one of the sessions, the Research Lead, Machine Intelligence Research Group (MIRG) in UNILAG, Babatunde Sawyer, a holder of PhD certificate and lecturer at the Department of Computer Science, addressed participants on Artificial Intelligence (AI) about its accountability, validity, reliability, explainability, security and privacy. The workshop was held at the Arthur Mbanefo Digital Research Centre (AMDRC) of UNILAG, and the training, according to the university, is targeted at upscaling the knowledge of faculty members in ways and methods of proactive ethics as well as inculcating its indispensability in promoting standards while also driving excellent service delivery.
The programme, which is part of the expected output of Professor Porter’s scholarship award, was a presentation of the Proactive Ethics Programme (PEP), an initiative the scholar developed through his research works.
Through the PEP initiative, the workshop aims to equip the administrative and academic staff of the university with the necessary knowledge and frameworks to address ethical issues in higher education.
The workshop, according to the university, also provided “proactive ethics instruction to improve compliance and mitigate legal and ethical challenges” across administrative, financial, research, and academic sectors.
The scholar stressed the need for higher institutions to adopt “preventive measures rather than reactive responses to ethical challenges,” noting that the ethics framework could be structured to fit local contexts in Nigerian universities while ensuring adherence to global best practices.
According to the organisers, the workshop would allow participants to demonstrate an understanding of the broad field of higher education ethics within the framework of law and moral-individual perspectives; identify key ethical theories and ethical decision-making processes to mitigate compliance issues, as well as other higher education ethical issues, and develop an ethics-based method to proactively prevent legal issues.
The participants are also expected to be able to synthesise how higher education ethics contribute to improved education; evaluate how ethics planning provides proactive means to mitigate ethical/legal issues; evaluate different employee positions and how they can interact in an ethical means, and synthesise the relationship of faculty members to students and staff, and others.
The deputy vice-chancellor, Professor Oboh acknowledged the disruption and undeniable impact of AI on tertiary education, even as she emphasised the need for all faculty members to embrace caution and recommit to integrity in the discharge of their duties. She tasked participants to ensure that they replicate the training at their various faculties within six months to ensure a transfer of the new knowledge acquired at the training.
Meanwhile, the organisers have said the work would continue virtually for three more days in the coming week after the physical session closed on Friday, 31 January.
The Nigeria Customs Service under ‘Operation Whirlwind’ has seized petroleum products worth N181.6 million in eight weeks between the Nigeria and Cameroon borders.
ACG Kolapo Oladeji, national coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, disclosed this at a news conference on Thursday in Yola. Mr Oladeji said the seizures were made across various smuggling flashpoints in Adamawa in 55 separate operations.
“This operation is geared towards energy and food security to foster economic growth in line with the core mandates of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu. In line with these mandates, the Operation Whirlwind Zone ‘D’ had repositioned all its machinery across the area of its responsibilities and ensured that the border became airtight,” he said.
He warned the smugglers to stop such acts and solicited the continued support and cooperation of all stakeholders in the state’s socioeconomic development. “We will ensure that the supply chains of these economic wreckers are truncated in accordance with enabling laws. This fight has no doubt helped in transforming the nation’s economy and strengthening the security of our borders,” he said.
He further said that the seized petroleum products would be auctioned to the public. Abidemi Adewumi-Aluko, assistant legal adviser of the attorney general of the federation, described the auction as a symbol of reclaiming resources to ensure that the benefit of petroleum remained in Nigeria. She said that such offences attracted life imprisonment because they threatened national security. NAN
Chevron said on Friday it will participate in Nigeria’s next oil licensing round and plans to deploy a drilling rig in late 2026 as it seeks to expand operations in Africa’s top energy producer.
Jim Swartz, chairman and managing director of Chevron Nigeria/Mid-Africa Business Unit, said the company aims to grow its footprint in Nigeria, citing improved regulatory clarity under the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA.
“We will participate in the next licensing round. Our intention is to continue to grow in Nigeria,” Swartz told reporters after meeting the upstream regulator. Nigeria’s licensing rounds are part of efforts to attract investment and boost output after years of underinvestment. The 2025 round will offer 50 fields through a digital platform, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) said. TotalEnergies has also expressed interest in joining an auction.
Chevron recently agreed to acquire a 40% stake in two offshore exploration licences, PPL 2000 and PPL 2001, from TotalEnergies and is seeking regulatory approval to accelerate development.
Swartz said it plans to bring in a rig in late 2026 to drill a newly discovered resource near Agbami and extend leases on existing assets. Swartz added that Chevron had recorded no oil theft or sabotage in the past year, the longest period without disruptions in its Nigerian operations, a sign of improved security in the sector. Reuters
Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service NIS, Kemi Nandap, on Friday urged Nigerians to shun touts and middlemen when applying for passports or other immigration services, insisting that the Service operates round-the-clock channels to assist citizens directly and transparently.
Nandap made the call in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the fourth-quarter Nationwide Sensitization Campaign against corruption and for improved service delivery.
The campaign, themed “Innovating for Transparency and Efficiency: Strengthening Service Delivery and Combating Corruption Through Reforms,” highlights the NIS’ ongoing efforts to modernize its operations and eliminate corrupt practices.
Addressing participants, the Immigration chief said the era of relying on agents or informal handlers should be over, as the Service has put in place fully digital, citizen-focused systems that allow applicants initiate and track their processes from the comfort of their homes.
She stressed that the NIS has functional 24-hour call lines, an active call centre, constantly monitored emails and social-media channels, all designed to ensure citizens are attended to promptly and without intermediaries.
“You don’t have to go to a tout, you don’t have to go to an agent. You can sit in the comfort of your home and apply for most of our facilities. Once you avoid putting yourself at the mercy of someone, you stay in control of your application and can always reach us at any time”, she stated.
Nandap noted that recent reforms, including automated passport application processes, biometric-based verification, expanded digital architecture and streamlined service-centre operations, have significantly reduced delays, improved transparency and minimised opportunities for extortion.
She explained that passport processing timelines have improved across multiple commands following the rollout of automated scheduling and digital communication platforms.
The Comptroller General also emphasized that transparency remains the foundation of effective immigration management.
She highlighted enhanced internal audits, stricter enforcement of ethical codes and redesigned workflows as key elements of the NIS’ anti-corruption strategy.
With digital payments and automated checkpoints reducing cash interactions, she said the Service is committed to stamping out malpractice at all levels.
Nandap further disclosed that the NIS has deepened collaboration with sister agencies, civil-society groups, international partners and the diplomatic community to align operations with global border-management standards.
These partnerships, she said, are helping to harmonise processes, promote accountability and support ongoing reforms.
She appealed to citizens to familiarise themselves with official procedures, follow approved channels and use the Service’s feedback platforms—including suggestion boxes, hotlines and online desks—to report challenges or offer recommendations. “We are here for Nigerians. Tell us how to serve you better,” she said.
The Immigration CG also paid tribute to officers who lost their lives in the line of duty in Mogolu, Tuga, Tula and Niger State, calling their deaths a painful reminder of the risks faced daily by immigration personnel.
She urged Nigerians and officers alike to embrace positive change, adding that sustainable reform depends on individual commitment and collective responsibility. “The change we want starts with each and every one of us,” she said.
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