Nigeria has called for inclusive and human-centered artificial intelligence policies that protect workers’ rights and safeguard jobs while harnessing technology’s transformative potential for economic growth, as Minister of Labour and Employment Dr. Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi delivered the country’s statement at the 114th Session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva.

Speaking in response to the ILO Director-General’s report titled “A Moment of Choice: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Decent Work,” Dingyadi described the theme as timely, noting that rapid advances in AI were reshaping labour markets, employment relationships, and workplace practices globally. He said the world needed a balanced approach that ensured the benefits of AI were harnessed without the attendant risks stripping societies of the gains of decent work.

He said Nigeria was embracing digital transformation through strategic investments in innovation, citing the establishment of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy to drive policies accelerating the country’s digital development. He noted that the government had made progress in automating public service processes and deploying AI in governance and service delivery.

Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund Managing Director Barrister Oluwaseun Faleye, speaking in Geneva following the minister’s presentation, described Nigeria’s position on AI as robust and pragmatic. He said the critical issues in the labour ecosystem included the treatment of platform workers, the gig economy, and the broader impact of AI on workers, and that governments and institutions needed to understand these implications to engage on relevant solutions. He called for better support structures for platform and gig economy workers as part of a comprehensive response to the new realities of AI-driven labour markets.