Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah has told Nigerian teachers that artificial intelligence is a tool to work with, not a threat to fear. He spoke at the 59th National Conference of Delegates of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Enugu on Tuesday.
His argument was direct. Emerging technologies should sharpen what teachers do, and should not push them out of the classroom.
What AI Can Do in the Classroom
Mbah listed the practical gains he expects. According to him, AI can personalise learning so that each pupil gets material suited to their pace. It can support lesson preparation, which takes up a large share of a teacher’s week. It can also help identify learning gaps early, before a struggling child falls too far behind, and it can widen access to knowledge for pupils far from well-stocked libraries.
For many Nigerian teachers handling large classes, these are real pressures, and tools that ease them could free up time for actual teaching.
Why Teachers Remain Irreplaceable
The governor was equally clear about AI’s limits. He said it cannot replace the human qualities that define a teacher, including the ability to inspire, to mentor, to understand a child’s personal circumstances, to build character and to kindle ambition.
A learning app can explain a topic. It cannot notice that a pupil has gone quiet because of trouble at home, or push a hesitant child to aim higher. Mbah placed those roles firmly with teachers.
Teachers as Drivers of Change
Mbah urged that teachers should not become victims of the technological revolution. He said they should be positioned as its “principal beneficiaries and drivers.” In his view, the people in the classroom should help shape how AI is used in schools, and should not simply have it imposed on them.
Safeguards Before Adoption
The governor did not present AI as a cure-all. He called for safeguards to make sure it is deployed ethically and responsibly. He named data protection, regulation, ethical standards and continuous teacher training as essential parts of the transition.
Training matters most for this vision to work. Teachers who are not taught to use these tools will struggle to benefit from them. Mbah suggested that proper capacity building would replace fear with informed confidence.
Backing Words With Recruitment
Mbah tied the discussion to the state’s investment in its teaching workforce. He said the Enugu State government has recruited 6,850 teachers and other education personnel to address shortages and move the student-teacher ratio closer to global benchmarks.
He said this reflects a conviction that a world-class education system cannot be built without a well-equipped and motivated teaching workforce. Technology, in his framing, adds to that workforce and does not replace it.
What It Means for Schools
Mbah’s message to the NUT was reassuring but conditional. AI can lighten the load and improve results, provided teachers are trained, data is protected, and rules are in place. For Nigeria’s education sector, the takeaway is that the classroom still belongs to the teacher, and technology should serve the person leading it.