Paradigm Initiative trains prosecutors on AI
Paradigm Initiative on Wednesday launched a capacity-building workshop aimed at equipping government prosecutors with the tools to handle crimes committed through or enabled by digital technologies. The two-day programme in Abuja, themed “Prosecution in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” is organised with support from the Kingdom of the Netherlands under the Stemming the Tide of […]
Paradigm Initiative on Wednesday launched a capacity-building workshop aimed at equipping government prosecutors with the tools to handle crimes committed through or enabled by digital technologies.
The two-day programme in Abuja, themed “Prosecution in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” is organised with support from the Kingdom of the Netherlands under the Stemming the Tide of Abuse in Nigeria’s Digital Space (STANDS) Project.
It draws attention to how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital systems are increasingly shaping governance and criminal investigations, stressing the need to understand their functions, the risks they create, and safeguards required to protect citizens’ rights.
The initiative comes as criminal procedure laws struggle to keep pace with the realities of technology-driven offences. With online platforms increasingly weaponised against victims, breaching privacy and exposing them to harm, prosecutors face growing pressure to adapt to sophisticated threats enabled by fast-evolving tools.
At the opening session, Khadijah El-Usman, Paradigm Initiative’s Senior Programmes Officer for Anglophone West Africa, warned that without deliberate investments in prosecutorial skills, the gap between technological growth and legal response would widen.
She cautioned this could result in ill-prepared prosecutors, rights violations during probes, and declining public trust in justice.
“By building targeted skills, prosecutors will not only stay ahead of emerging threats but also push for reforms that align the law with technological change,” she noted.
In his goodwill remarks, Robert Sonnemans, Deputy Ambassador of the Netherlands to Nigeria, commended Nigeria’s strides in digital adoption.
He stressed that while AI promises stronger investigations and greater access to justice, it equally raises concerns on fairness, bias and potential misuse.
Also speaking, Barr Ali Baba Rijaiu, Deputy Director, Department of Public Prosecution of the Federation, encouraged prosecutors to seize the opportunity.
According to him, “the work we do builds citizens’ trust in justice. Meeting the demands of the digital era means defeating crime while protecting freedom, proving that justice in Nigeria is not diminished by technology but empowered through it.”