RismadarVoice Reporters
September 29, 2026
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has said artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies should be deployed to improve teachers’ effectiveness rather than viewed as threats to their jobs.
Mbah stated this while addressing the 59th National Conference of Delegates of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Enugu.
The conference, themed “Deployment of Technology and Artificial Intelligence in Education Will Erode the Place of Teachers in the Classroom: Myth or Reality?”, focused on the implications of rapidly evolving technology for the teaching profession.
Mbah said the increasing influence of artificial intelligence should not be resisted, noting that technological advances could improve productivity, innovation and the delivery of education.
According to him, AI can support teachers by personalising learning, assisting with lesson preparation, identifying learning gaps and expanding access to knowledge.
He maintained, however, that technology could not replace the human qualities central to teaching, including the ability to inspire and mentor students, understand their individual circumstances, build character and encourage ambition.
“The future is therefore not teacher versus technology. The future is teacher with technology,” Mbah said.
The governor stressed that the adoption of artificial intelligence in education must be accompanied by safeguards, including ethical standards, data protection, responsible regulation and continuous capacity-building for teachers.
He said teachers should become major beneficiaries and drivers of technological transformation rather than victims of it.
Mbah also highlighted his administration’s investments in education, saying the Enugu State Government had recruited 6,850 teachers and other education personnel as part of efforts to address staffing shortages and improve the student-teacher ratio.
According to the governor, education received 33 per cent of the state’s total budget across three budget cycles under his administration.
He also pointed to the development of technology-driven Smart Green Schools across the state’s 260 wards, saying the initiative was designed to provide modern learning facilities and prepare children for future demands.
Mbah said investments in infrastructure, technology and curriculum development must be complemented by teacher training, welfare and motivation to build a strong education system.
He also commended Kebbi State Governor Mohammed Nasir Idris for his contributions to the teaching profession and praised the NUT leadership for providing a platform to discuss the future of education amid rapid technological change.
