The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has said that the Nigerian government will act responsibly in the deployment of Artificial Intelligence to fix the nation’s economy.
This is just as he maintained that the deployment of AI would be done in a manner that guarantees national security.
The lawmaker stated this while receiving a delegation from Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook) led by the Vice President (Africa, Middle East and Turkey), Mr Kojo Boakye and the Director, West Africa, Adaora Ikenze at the National Assembly Complex on Tuesday.
Meta is an American multinational technology conglomerate that owns and operates Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp, among other products and services.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker, Levinus Nwabughiogu, Kalu was quoted to have appreciated Meta’s contributions to Nigeria’s digital economy particularly its investments in Nigeria in the area of fibre optic cables, mobile partnerships, and business capacity support for entrepreneurs and small and medium scale enterprises.
Kalu according to the statement noted that the news of the 45,000km Africa subsea cable landing in Lagos and Akwa Ibom states “Is particularly exciting, given its potential socio-economic impact on the country.”
He said: “I heard you mention things about AI. You are interested in AI when you mentioned the various areas where Meta is involved beyond Facebook and Instagram. Then I saw you’re interested in AI and I’m happy that the government of President Bola Tinubu chose technology as one of the areas that will help this administration to advance towards achieving its set national objectives.
“We understand the relevance of AI and we also appreciate your interest in our national artificial intelligence strategy. As a government, we are committed to fostering innovation and responsible use of AI and emphasis on the responsible use of AI.
“It could be abused as well. We value industry input. We value collaborations. And we look forward to engaging with stakeholders to ensure that our own AI strategy aligns fully with global best practices and serves the interests of both technology companies and the public, especially our own citizens.
Speaking about the proposed digital rights bills, Kalu sought the collaboration of Meta in the protection of digital rights.
“In our mind, we are intentional about content moderation, and digital rights bills. Regarding the proposed content, moderation and digital rights bills, we understand the importance of the balance and fair regulatory framework.
“And I also want to say that our legislative process is open to constructive dialogue. Embrace this one that we’re bringing up and other ones that we’re going to showcase as well. And we welcome your insights and recommendations in the course of that engagement, it will not just be a presentation that will not be a working document for us to come up with another amendment to our law or repeal.
“We will take your opinion seriously. I’m sure if you participate, if you accept our hand of partnership to engage more, together, we can work towards a bill that will ensure digital rights are protected.”
Kalu also hinted that by January 2024, his office will be convening a sectoral policy dialogue in collaboration with advocacy for Civic Engagement Centre focusing on information technology and innovation.
While seeking the support of Meta, the Deputy Speaker insisted that the regulatory laws adopted by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria Act (ARCON, 2022) are not meant to punish anybody but to clean up the space to avoid abuse.
Leader of the delegation, Mr Boakye earlier informed the Deputy Speaker of their intention to initiate some digital expansion in Africa, saying it will benefit Nigeria as a country given the resourcefulness and creativity of her people.
