Lagos, Feb. 20, 2026 (NAN) Diplomats, Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWDs) and school pupils have called for inclusive and responsible development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to ensure that none is left behind in Nigeria’s digital transformation.
They made the call at the InnovateAI 2026 Conference held in Lagos on Friday, where speakers emphasised cross-border collaboration, accessibility, and youth inclusion as critical pillars for sustainable AI growth.
The conference in its third edition and organised by AI in Nigeria had the theme: “Responsible AI Beyond Innovation.”
The Ambassador of Taiwan to Nigeria, Yih Ping-Liu, said the country’s rise from a resource-poor nation to a global backbone of AI and semiconductor development showed what sustained investment in human capital could achieve.
Ping-Liu said that Taiwan, despite natural disasters and limited natural resources, invested heavily in education and technology, becoming a trusted global partner in AI hardware and manufacturing.
“If a tiny country like Taiwan can transform itself through brain power and investment in human resources, every state in Nigeria can do the same,” he said, offering partnership opportunities through Taiwan’s trade and technology platforms.
Similarly, a representative of the United Kingdom, Grace Bell reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to strengthening AI collaboration with Nigeria to ensure that technology translated into jobs, resilient public services and inclusive growth.
“In Lagos, you feel the energy and ambition driving Africa’s digital future. By working across borders, we can ensure AI reflects shared values and serves everyone,” the envoy said.
Also speaking, Ms Barbara Lehninger, Commercial Counsellor at the Austrian Embassy Commercial Section, said Austria’s AI strategy centred on trust, safety and human-centric design.
She stressed the need to safeguard against risks such as fraud and deepfakes, while building systems that created value across sectors including healthcare, education and finance.
Mr Eero Toivainen, Head of Trade at Business Finland in Lagos, said Finland had leveraged AI and supercomputing to drive innovation in satellite technology and drug discovery.
He cited the success of Finnish AI firms and urged Nigeria to harness its youthful population to build globally competitive AI solutions.
Beyond diplomatic goodwill messages, discussions at the conference spotlighted inclusion, particularly for persons living with disabilities and children.
Ms Stephanie Egareva of the Mastercard Foundation, said responsible AI must prioritise impact over innovation and ensure systems do not exclude marginalised groups.
“As a person with disability, responsible AI means building systems that do not compute for only the default user,” she said.
Egareva called for diverse datasets, accessibility at the design stage and direct involvement of persons with disabilities in product development.
“If a person with disability cannot independently use your tool, then it is not ready to scale,” she said, adding that building for the margins ultimately strengthens society as a whole.
School pupils also shared perspectives on AI’s benefits and risks.
Miss Oluwadamilare Falana, a Year Five pupil of Bambini School, Ikeja, described AI as helpful in education, healthcare and agriculture but warned against over dependence.
“AI is like a superpower. It can achieve amazing things, but it must be used responsibly and should not replace human thinking or kindness,” she said.
Another pupil, Rehan Layode, said AI provided personalised learning and round-the-clock academic support, but cautioned that excessive reliance could weaken critical thinking and creativity.
Participants agreed that while AI presented vast opportunities for Nigeria’s economic growth and innovation, its development must be anchored on inclusivity, ethics and collaboration.
The conference underscored the importance of engaging governments, private sector actors, civil society, persons with disabilities and young people in shaping policies and systems that reflected shared values and national priorities. (NAN)
