Lagos course studies Estonia’s AI adoption model

The Lagos State Government has trained senior civil servants on artificial intelligence governance, ethical technology adoption and transformational leadership. The programme examined successful AI adoption models in Estonia, Rwanda and Singapore to identify lessons that could apply in Lagos.

The two-day Executive Development Programme was organised by the Office of the Head of Service with the Ministry of Establishments and Training. Its theme was Executive Leadership MasterClass in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance and Economic Transformation (AI-GET). J. Soji-George Consulting Nigeria Limited anchored the course with the University of Kigali, Rwanda, at the Education Resource Centre in Ojodu, Lagos.

Prof. Ogechi Adeola, deputy vice-chancellor for research, innovation and enterprise at the University of Kigali, said adequate infrastructure is needed for ethical and effective AI adoption in Lagos State. She said public officials need the knowledge to deploy AI responsibly and to form policies that address infrastructure problems, including unreliable electricity supply. Participants were also to explore how AI-powered drone technology could improve healthcare delivery.

On the second day, the group held practical sessions on AI applications, data generation and the ethical use of emerging technologies. Prof. Olusoji George, chief executive and senior partner of J. Soji-George Consulting Nigeria Limited, said participants were taught to use AI tools responsibly and that technology should complement human intelligence and critical thinking. He said users need clear, context-specific instructions, because recommendations produced for other cities may not reflect Lagos’s population, peculiarities and administrative needs.

George also told the opening session that emotional intelligence matters for senior public servants whose decisions affect citizens. He said effective leadership requires self-awareness, social awareness, motivation and an understanding of society’s emotional climate, and that officials should consider citizens’ concerns and perceptions when they form and carry out policy. He warned that failing to understand public sentiment could undermine government initiatives and erode public trust. He described senior civil servants as the backbone of the public service, now in strategic roles that require judgment, empathy and responsiveness, and said changing the service depends on a gradual shift in mindset.

George thanked Commissioner Afolabi Ayantayo for supporting the initiative and said the course is part of a broader executive development series. Organisers plan to monitor participants through a 90-day challenge, including interviews with their immediate supervisors, to assess productivity and use of the training. Participants are expected to pass what they learned to subordinates.

Adedolapo Ajayi, director of administration in the Ministry of Establishments and Training, opened the programme for the commissioner and Permanent Secretary Olubusola Abidakun. He urged participants to use the course to work more effectively, to ask questions and to apply the lessons in governance.

Other resource persons included the dean of the School of Economics, Finance and Accounting at the University of Kigali and Victor Odumuyiwa, professor of AI and natural language processing at the University of Lagos.