West African Lawmakers Urge Caution on Artificial Intelligence
Port Harcourt, Nigeria – Members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament have called for a measured approach to the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), warning that the technology could pose significant risks to the region’s development, including job displacement and disinformation.
The debate took place during a parliamentary seminar in the Nigerian city of Port Harcourt, with the theme “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Parliamentary Efficiency, Ethical Governance and Development in the ECOWAS Region.”
The week-long event, chaired by Speaker Memounatou Ibrahima, brought together lawmakers and experts who highlighted the urgent need to mitigate AI’s potential negative impacts, particularly in a region facing high unemployment.
Foreign Influence and Ethical Governance
Hadjaratou Traore, the Second Deputy Speaker from Côte d’Ivoire, expressed concern over AI’s origins and control. She noted that because the technology is dominated by Western and Asian countries, West Africa must be cautious.
Traore urged the creation of a regional task force to develop a specific legislative framework for each member state, ensuring AI is domesticated and integrated ethically into parliamentary work.
Echoing this sentiment, Fourth Deputy Speaker Billay Tunkara from The Gambia emphasised the need for rigorous public education to mitigate the risks associated with AI.
AI for Accountability
Nigerian lawmaker Awaji Abiante argued that AI could serve as a powerful tool for enhancing government transparency and fighting corruption. However, he stressed that its benefits would be limited without principled and transparent leadership.
“If we have leaders who are not transparent in their conscience… it will be difficult to guarantee systems that will be transparent,” Abiante said.
This call for caution was reinforced by Ghanaian MP Laadi Ayamba, who urged leaders to be mindful of the consequences of AI for the region’s youth and children. “This is not something that we should embrace wholeheartedly… we must be careful,” she warned.
Despite the prevailing concerns, Nassirou Bako Arifari, an MP from Benin, saw a historic opportunity for the ECOWAS Parliament to draft a model law for the region. He suggested this as a crucial first step towards creating a unified “West African AI Space.”
