AI Must Be Legally Regulated to Prevent Crime In Nigeria – Ex-Minister Pantami
Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, has urged the Nigerian government to quickly pass laws regulating Artificial Intelligence (AI) to prevent its misuse.
Speaking at the 16th Annual General Conference of the Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria (MULAN) held in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Friday, Pantami called on the National Assembly to enact a National Artificial Intelligence Development and Deployment Act.
“This legislation should create a legal framework to ensure AI is used responsibly, especially to prevent its exploitation for criminal activities,” Pantami said.
He warned that as AI becomes more widespread across sectors, it brings serious security risks and ethical challenges. “AI is a double-edged sword; it can drive progress, but it can also become a dangerous tool in the wrong hands,” he added.
Pantami also proposed a National Accountability and Liability Act to hold developers and users accountable if AI systems cause harm or are used for illegal purposes.
At the conference, Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, spoke about the need for caution when integrating AI into Nigeria’s legal system. Represented by Justice Ridwan Maiwada Abdullahi, she said the technology must not conflict with the country’s cultural and religious values.
“As members of the legal profession and the Muslim community, we must critically evaluate AI before incorporating it into our laws,” Justice Kekere-Ekun said. “AI lacks the empathy and contextual understanding needed for sensitive personal and communal cases.”
Despite these concerns, the CJN acknowledged that the legal system must keep pace with technological advancements. “Our legal framework must evolve so Nigeria is not left behind in adapting to AI-driven adjudication,” she stated.
MULAN’s national president, Saidu Muhammed Tundun-Wada, highlighted AI’s positive impact on legal practice, including faster legal research, automated contracts, and AI-assisted case predictions. However, he stressed that ethical questions remain.
“How do we ensure AI respects the ethical principles that govern our profession? And how do we prevent bias in AI algorithms?” Tundun-Wada asked.
He further questioned whether AI could truly understand complex religious laws in Nigeria’s diverse society. “Can AI grasp the nuances of Islamic jurisprudence or make the careful judgments human judges provide?” he wondered.
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