ECOWAS moves to mitigates AI risks

Members of Parliament (MPs) of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and experts in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have mapped out strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of the technology in the West African region. This was the crux of the discussion at the ongoing 2025 Second Parliamentary Seminar of the ECOWAS Parliament in […]

Members of Parliament (MPs) of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and experts in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have mapped out strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of the technology in the West African region.

This was the crux of the discussion at the ongoing 2025 Second Parliamentary Seminar of the ECOWAS Parliament in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital with the theme “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Parliamentary Efficiency, Ethical Governance and Development in the ECOWAS Region.”

The seminar will be followed by the 2025 Second Extraordinary session of the 6th legislature in the oil- rich city.

On Tuesday, the MPs deliberated on ways to protect the region against harmful use of the technology to undermine development in critical sectors, especially to avoid jobs losses in a region still struggling with high unemployment.

The MPs mostly appealed for caution after the experts namely; Professor Uche Mbanaso, a cyber-security and computing expert; Dr. Christian Odo, an ICT expert; Theophilus Ukuyoma and Kamaldeen Samaila, made their presentations.

Leading the debate, Second Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Hadjaratou Traore, said AI is occupying the space in terms of administration, and based on orientation in the region, “AI should be a tool that could be integrated in our parliamentary business’’.

Fourth Deputy Speaker, Billay Tunkara, in his submission, said that AI has become the rave of the modern world, adding that it has come to stay and the region must find a way to mitigate its risks.

Contributing, Nigerian MP, Awaji Inombek Abiante, called for a basic legal instrument that will enable both the collection of data and the protection of the same.

“AI will help us track the activities of government and governance structures in real time and help us fight corruption. But if we have leaders who are not transparent in their conscience, leaders who are corrupt and not interested in revealing the truth, it will be difficult to guarantee systems that will be transparent,” he said.

Ghanaian MP, Laadi Ayi Ayamba, acknowledged that AI is the way forward but expressed deep concerns on the risks of deployment of AI even as she charged leaders to be mindful of its consequences, especially on the youth and children.