Lawmakers of the ECOWAS Parliament and regional experts in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have called for caution in the deployment of the fast-evolving technology, stressing the need for ethical safeguards, legal frameworks, and job protection as West Africa embraces the digital age.
This was the thrust of discussions at the 2025 Second Parliamentary Seminar of the ECOWAS Parliament, which opened Monday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, under the theme: “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Parliamentary Efficiency, Ethical Governance and Development in the ECOWAS Region.” The seminar continues this week ahead of the parliament’s Second Extraordinary Session of the 6th Legislature in the oil-rich city.
Presiding over Tuesday’s session, Speaker Memounatou Ibrahima guided MPs as they debated how best to shield the region from harmful applications of AI—particularly its potential to fuel job losses in a region grappling with high unemployment.
Presentations were delivered by experts including Prof. Uche Mbanaso, a cybersecurity specialist; Dr. Christian Odo, ICT consultant; Theophilus Ukuyoma; and Kamaldeen Samaila on AI’s role in security, oversight, health, and agriculture.
Second Deputy Speaker Hadjaratou Traore of Côte d’Ivoire urged caution, warning that AI technologies were largely developed and controlled by Western and Asian powers.
“AI should be a tool integrated into our parliamentary business. But our focus must be on domestication and ethics,” Traore said.
“We need a regional team to design frameworks tailored to each member parliament.”
From The Gambia, Fourth Deputy Speaker Billay Tunkara added that AI is “the rave of the modern world” but emphasized sensitization campaigns to avoid mass unemployment.
Nigerian MP Awaji Inombek Abiante pressed for a basic legal instrument covering data collection and protection.
“If we want AI to promote transparency, transparency must begin with leadership recruitment. AI can track governance in real time, but corrupt leaders cannot guarantee transparent systems,” Abiante cautioned.
Ghanaian MP Laadi Ayi Ayamba struck a warning note, saying AI adoption must not overlook youth and cultural identity.
“It is not something we should embrace wholeheartedly and forget who we are. AI is a good idea, but we must be careful—for the future of our children,” she said.
Benin Republic’s Nassirou Bako Arifari urged the parliament to seize the moment by drafting a regional model law on AI, which could inspire member states and lay the foundation for a West African AI Space.
“This is a historical opportunity for ECOWAS Parliament,” Arifari said.
As the debate continues in Port Harcourt, lawmakers and experts appear united that while AI offers transformative opportunities, it also poses risks that demand regional collaboration, strong laws, and ethical guardrails to ensure it benefits West Africa’s development journey.
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