EFCC Chairman Advocates AI Adoption in Universities

On Tuesday in Kano, Ola Olukoyede, the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), called for Nigerian universities to urgently adopt artificial intelligence (AI) in their financial management systems. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 8th Biennial Conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State Universities in Nigeria, Olukoyede highlighted AI as a critical safeguard for public institutions and warned that universities risk falling behind global standards if they do not embrace technology-driven oversight.

He noted that despite managing multi-billion naira budgets, including tuition fees and research grants, many institutions struggle with accountability issues. The EFCC has uncovered cases of financial misconduct in tertiary institutions, including inflated contracts and ghost workers.

Olukoyede urged university governing councils to proactively integrate digital systems and recommended establishing AI digital governance committees. He also stressed that while technology is essential, it cannot replace human integrity and warned against overdependence on technology, which could expose institutions to cybersecurity risks.