The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, Akeem Abas, has said that Artificial Intelligence, AI, will only replace journalists who fail to update their digital skills.
Abas stated this on Wednesday in Ibadan during a two-day AI training organised by the state council in collaboration with the American Open University, Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the training is titled “Empowering Journalists with Artificial Intelligence for Ethical, Innovative and Future-ready Journalism.”
According to Abas, a digitally empowered journalist is not a threat to national development but a strategic partner in nation-building.
He said journalists with AI competence could evolve into media consultants, offering data analysis, content strategy and communication advisory services to governments, institutions and the private sector.
Abas added that journalists could also establish media and technology startups, fact-checking platforms, local data hubs, investigative journalism labs, digital storytelling studios and AI-assisted news platforms that cater to niche audiences.
He further noted that journalists could function as policy advisers and public communication experts, supporting government agencies, legislators and development institutions with research-based insights, public engagement strategies and evidence-driven narratives.
The NUJ chairman stressed that the training was not an act of charity but a deliberate effort at capacity building.
“This vision aligns squarely with Nigeria’s Digital Economy Agenda, which prioritises digital skills, innovation, entrepreneurship, and human capital development as drivers of national growth.
“As the country pushes towards a knowledge-based economy, journalists must not be excluded from this transformation.
“During our electioneering campaign, we promised to move beyond symbolic leadership to policy-driven unionism, pledging to equip our members with skills that translate into relevance, sustainability, and dignity in a changing economy.
“This training of 120 journalists is a direct fulfilment of that promise; AI will not replace journalists, it will only replace journalists who refuse to learn,” he said.
Abas urged participants to move beyond routine reporting to analytical and solution-oriented journalism, calling on them to interrogate data, interpret policies and enlighten citizens in ways that strengthen democracy and accountability.
“To policymakers and stakeholders present, this initiative sends a strong message; investing in journalists is investing in transparency, stability and informed governance.
“A technologically competent press is not a luxury; it is a national necessity.
“Let us remember that journalism has survived every technological disruption because it adapts without surrendering its soul.
“Artificial Intelligence must amplify human judgment, not replace it; it must serve democracy, not undermine it,” Abas said.
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, described the emergence of AI as a positive development.
Oyelade, however, warned that like other global innovations, AI comes with drawbacks, noting that it could be deployed by netizens and online users for harmful purposes.
According to him, studies have shown that AI has become an integral part of journalism, both now and in the future.
“In Oyo State, the key factor behind the success of the Seyi Makinde-led administration is the religious deployment of science and data in governance.
“The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development is deploying digitisation of its land transactions, such that financial leakages have been blocked.
“Fraud has been brought to the barest minimum, and it has helped tremendously to increase the state’s IGR, reaching a phenomenal N103 billion in 2025.
“This figure alone represents more than the total IGR of the past two administrations in the state,” he said.
Oyelade urged journalists to maximise the opportunity provided by the training for personal and organisational growth, while also commending the new NUJ executives for organising the programme less than two months after assuming office.
Also speaking, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the American Open University, Nigeria, Dr Seyi Akanbi, described AI as a solution when placed in the hands of responsible users.
Akanbi identified misinformation, disinformation and propaganda as major threats to journalism, urging journalists to learn and deploy AI for content integrity, social responsibility, professional excellence, innovation and adaptation.
He also advised journalists to partner with organisations such as Google to establish fact-checking platforms to enhance accuracy.
NAN
