Religious leaders in Nigeria have called for the inclusion of faith-based perspectives in the development of national policies on artificial intelligence, warning that unchecked adoption of the technology could undermine cultural, moral and spiritual values.

The call was made on Tuesday in Abuja at a meeting organised by the Christian Council of Nigeria and Jama’atu Nasril Islam.

The meeting was facilitated by the CCN-Institute of Church and Society in Ibadan, with support from the Future of Life Institute in the United States.

Speaking at the event, the director of CCN-ICS, Kolade Fadahunsi, said that although AI offers immense benefits, it should remain a “derivative intelligence” and must not be allowed to override human reasoning and divine principles.

Mr Fadahunsi said the misuse of AI could erode ethical standards, weaken spiritual consciousness and distort cultural identity.

According to him, religious values, cultural heritage and human empathy must be deliberately incorporated into AI governance frameworks to ensure that technology serves humanity rather than replaces it.

He called for stronger ethical oversight within Nigeria’s Artificial Intelligence Strategy, urging policymakers to ensure the participation of religious institutions in the development of national AI frameworks.

The cleric stressed the need to examine the strategy, particularly its fourth pillar, being developed in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency, from an ethical standpoint.

He said the AI policy should reflect Nigeria’s religious diversity and moral foundations, adding that excluding faith-based voices would leave the framework incomplete. Mr Fadahunsi said that the country’s major religions, Islam and Christianity, should be adequately represented in translating the strategy into policy.

He said such representation would enable religious leaders to provide moral guidance and help address potential challenges arising from the deployment of AI technologies.

The secretary-general of JNI and imam of the National Mosque, Abuja, Khalid Aliyu-Abubakar, said AI, despite its benefits, posed risks to humanity, empathy, and religious ethics if not properly regulated.

Mr Aliyu-Abubakar said religious institutions remained custodians of cultural values, morality and ethical standards and should therefore be involved in shaping AI policies. He urged government and policymakers to integrate religious and cultural considerations into AI governance frameworks to prevent the erosion of inherited values.

(NAN)