AI: Pantami Warns FG, Proposes Twin Laws To Tackle Digital Crime

Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, has called on the Federal Government to urgently enact laws regulating the development and deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in Nigeria. Pantami made the call while delivering a keynote address at the 16th Annual General Conference of the Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria […]

Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, has called on the Federal Government to urgently enact laws regulating the development and deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in Nigeria.

Pantami made the call while delivering a keynote address at the 16th Annual General Conference of the Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria (MULAN), in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Friday.

He urged the National Assembly to consider passing a National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Development and Deployment Act, which would provide a legal framework for the responsible use of AI technologies, particularly in preventing their misuse for criminal purposes.

Pantami warned that the growing adoption of AI across sectors poses new security challenges and ethical concerns. He stressed the need for proactive legislation to prevent the use of AI in cybercrime, fraud, surveillance abuses, and other illicit activities.

In addition, he proposed the enactment of a National Accountability and Liability Act, to hold individuals and entities accountable for the consequences of developing or deploying AI systems used for criminal acts.

“The future of digital governance lies in how well we can balance innovation with accountability,” Pantami said. “AI is a double-edged sword; it can drive progress, but it can also become a dangerous tool in the wrong hands.”

Also speaking at the event, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, cautioned legal practitioners on the integration of AI into the nation’s legal system, urging a critical and culturally sensitive approach.

Represented by the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, Hon. Justice Ridwan Maiwada Abdullahi, the CJN described the conference theme “Artificial Intelligence, Law and Religion in Nigeria” as timely and significant.

“As ummah in the legal profession, we owe it a duty to scrutinize with critical minds before we allow the integration of this said AI into our legal framework,” Kekere-Ekun said. “This is to ensure that it does not distort or tamper with our divine laws and well-guided principles by our beloved Prophet (SAW).”

She warned that AI could disrupt Nigeria’s established cultural norms and religious values, stressing that the technology lacks the empathy and contextual understanding necessary for matters involving personal and communal relationships.

“AI is known to have no empathy and contextual sensitivity necessary to handle cases involving personal and communal relationships fittingly,” she added.

Despite the concerns, the CJN acknowledged the need for the legal system to evolve with technological changes.

“The Nigerian legal system must be kept abreast with this new development so as not to be left behind in adapting to this novel AI in the adjudication of cases,” she said.

MULAN’s national president, Saidu Muhammed Tundun-Wada, noted that AI is already transforming legal practice in Nigeria.

He highlighted the technology’s potential to enhance access to justice and improve service delivery through tools such as predictive analytics for case outcomes, automated contract drafting systems, rapid legal research, and AI-powered legal assistance chatbots.

However, he emphasized that these innovations also raise complex ethical questions.

“How can we ensure AI systems adhere to the fundamental ethical principles that govern our profession?” he asked, adding that measures must be implemented to address potential algorithmic biases”.

Tundun-Wada added that in a religiously diverse society like Nigeria, the stakes are even higher.

“Can artificial intelligence truly comprehend the nuances of Islamic jurisprudence? Can it exercise the sophisticated judgment required to balance various interpretations as human judges do, drawing upon both legal expertise and religious understanding?” he queried.

The conference brought together legal experts, religious scholars, and technology stakeholders to reflect on the implications of AI for Nigeria’s justice system and its moral compass.