The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has introduced a new National Diploma (ND) curriculum in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for polytechnics, marking a significant step in strengthening digital skills development across Nigeria’s technical education sector.

The curriculum was unveiled in Abuja on Thursday by the Executive Secretary of NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje, who said the programme was designed to meet the increasing global demand for AI expertise and emerging technology skills.

According to Bugaje, the new curriculum is intended to prepare Nigerian graduates with advanced digital competencies required in the evolving workforce.

He explained that although NBTE had previously introduced a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Artificial Intelligence, the board found that students enrolling in the programme required a stronger academic foundation.

“This informed the development of a standalone ND curriculum in AI.

“We realised that only about 20 per cent of what students studied in HND Computer Science was relevant to HND AI, while 80 per cent has become general knowledge.

“We decided to do a whole curriculum at national diploma level, right from the beginning on AI, and that is the product we are unveiling today.

“With that, we had to again change the HND, currently under review, to increase the content,” he said.

Bugaje expressed confidence that the initiative would produce highly skilled technicians and technologists capable of meeting industry demands in artificial intelligence.

He also disclosed that lecturers from institutions seeking to offer the programme would undergo compulsory five-day training sessions in Abuja and Lagos before the curriculum is implemented. The training, he said, would introduce lecturers to emerging AI concepts and technologies not covered in traditional computer science programmes.

The NBTE Executive Secretary further revealed that the board has fully digitalised its regulatory processes, including accreditation, resource inspection and quality assurance, as part of its technology-driven reform agenda.

He added that the adoption of AI tools has reduced the cost of curriculum development by approximately 50 per cent.

“AI generated the zero draft of our latest curriculum, while it is also being used to produce digital courseware for distance learning programmes.

“Artificial intelligence is no longer the future; it is already the tool of today and will become even more indispensable,” he said.

Bugaje encouraged Nigerians to embrace artificial intelligence, noting that the technology would simplify work processes and improve productivity across multiple sectors.

He also disclosed that several countries have approached NBTE to establish partnerships that would enable Nigerian AI graduates to help address international skills shortages.

According to him, the board is already implementing the Nigerian Youth Skills Empowerment Programme, under which National Diploma holders in Electrical Engineering receive additional training and employment opportunities in Denmark and Poland.

He added that discussions are ongoing with Denmark to establish a similar arrangement for graduates of Artificial Intelligence programmes.

Earlier, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Abdullahi, commended NBTE for introducing the curriculum.

Represented by NITDA Senior Manager Yakubu Musa, Abdullahi described the initiative as an important milestone in preparing Nigerian students for participation in the digital economy.

He recommended that AI education should extend beyond computer science to disciplines such as engineering, agriculture, business and architecture.

The NITDA Director-General also called for regular curriculum reviews to keep pace with technological advancements and advocated stronger collaboration between academic institutions and industry to bridge emerging skills gaps.

He reaffirmed NITDA’s commitment to partnering with NBTE and other stakeholders to strengthen digital skills development and innovation-driven education across Nigeria.

Also speaking at the event, Nigeria’s first PhD holder in Artificial Intelligence, Amina Magaji, stressed the importance of continuous learning, ethical AI adoption and sustained investment in digital literacy to maximise the opportunities presented by emerging technologies.

Reflecting on her academic journey, Magaji said she earned her PhD in AI more than a decade ago, when opportunities in the field were still limited before the emergence of generative AI transformed global interest.

“I had the opportunity to engage with this field over 11 years ago. And when I was coming back to Nigeria, I was really worried about what I could do with it.

“I kept on asking myself, what can I do with it? You know, people were creating robots. Things were happening 11 years ago.

“I felt innovation was more closely related to my technical skills than being more of a politician. So I took the NITDA role of innovation.

“Moving forward, I used the opportunity to help startups that had ideas and were building platforms. But I had more affinity to the AI startups, because that was my goal, and we evolved like that.”

Magaji explained that after returning to Nigeria, she focused on innovation instead of politics, using her expertise to support AI startups and promote technology-driven innovation.

She said one of her major achievements was leading the development of a digital literacy and capacity-building framework that was later adopted within the education sector, integrating AI and other emerging technologies into academic curricula.

She further disclosed that, through a partnership with NITDA under a World Bank-supported Africa Centre of Excellence project, she helped develop and facilitate master’s and doctoral degree programmes in Artificial Intelligence and related technologies.

Magaji noted that the rapid advancement of generative AI has demonstrated the need for professionals to continually update their knowledge to remain competitive.

She added that concerns about government bureaucracy inspired her to establish a non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting AI literacy and digital inclusion throughout Nigeria.

According to her, the foundation seeks to make AI education accessible to all Nigerians, including women, rural communities and persons with disabilities.

She urged stakeholders to prioritise inclusive AI education to ensure that no Nigerian is excluded from the country’s ongoing digital transformation.

Source: Peoples Gazette.