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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a technology reserved for scientists and big companies. Today, it is in the hands of almost everyone including secondary school and university students across Nigeria.
Not too long ago, students spent long hours inside libraries, flipping through textbooks, arguing over assignments with classmates and struggling to find the right answers. Today, all it takes is a few taps on a smartphone. Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and other writing assistants can generate essays, solve mathematics problems, answer examination questions and even complete research projects within seconds.
Whether it is writing essays, solving mathematics questions, preparing seminar papers or even completing final-year projects, AI tools have become the new study companions for thousands of young Nigerians.
Many students describe AI as a lifesaver. It saves time, explains difficult concepts and helps them understand subjects better. But while the benefits are obvious, education experts are sounding the alarm over another side of the story one that could have serious consequences for the future of education in Nigeria.
Across campuses from Lagos to Abuja, Ibadan, Enugu, Port Harcourt and Kano, lecturers are noticing a worrying trend. More students are submitting polished assignments, yet many struggle to explain the work they handed in. Some cannot defend their projects during presentations, while others fail simple follow-up questions in class. This has raised an important question that Is AI helping Nigerian students learn, or is it quietly making them dependent on technology.
Today, the process for things like assignment or test is much shorter. A student simply types a question into an AI application, waits a few seconds and receives a complete answer. With a few edits, the assignment is ready for submission. Some don’t even edit, that’s why school have taking things like plagiarism more serious than ever.
For many lecturers, this has become one of the biggest challenges facing higher education. Some university lecturers say they can easily tell when an assignment has been generated by AI because the language appears sophisticated, but the student often cannot explain basic points contained in the same work. As one lecturer in Lagos jokingly remarked during a seminar, “Some students now submit first-class assignments but answer oral questions like they never read them.”
Education is about much more than passing examinations. It teaches students how to analyse information, solve problems and think independently. Unfortunately, AI is making it easier for some students to skip this important process. Instead of asking themselves how to solve a problem, many simply ask an AI platform to provide the answer. Over time, experts fear this habit could weaken critical thinking and reduce students’ ability to make informed decisions without technological assistance.
The reading culture among Nigerian students has declined significantly. Rather than reading entire textbooks or academic journals, some students rely almost entirely on AI-generated summaries. Like in classes instead of writing they can just make use of App that helps take note, so apps like these don’t help the situation the educational system is now.
While summaries save time, they often leave out important details, arguments and different perspectives that help students develop deeper understanding. Without regular reading, vocabulary, comprehension and analytical skills may also begin to suffer.
And now we have in university lectures instead of reciting notes for class they just send the PDF notes to the class for them to judt lol at their phones in class as they are teaching.
Technology has also changed the face of examination malpractice. Some students now secretly use AI-powered applications during online tests, while others depend on AI to complete take-home examinations with little or no personal effort. Because many institutions are still developing policies on AI use, detecting this form of academic dishonesty remains difficult. The situation creates unfair competition for hardworking students who complete their work honestly.
One important skill every graduate is expected to possess is the ability to conduct proper research. Students should know how to compare different sources, verify facts and evaluate information before reaching conclusions. However, many students now accept AI-generated responses without checking whether they are accurate. Experts warn that AI can sometimes produce outdated facts, inaccurate statistics or even references that do not exist. When students fail to verify these responses, they risk spreading false information in academic work.
Essay writing, debates, public speaking and classroom discussions have traditionally encouraged Nigerian students to express their own ideas. Now, AI can generate speeches, poems, stories, business plans and even project topics within seconds. While this may seem impressive, teachers worry that students may gradually lose confidence in their own creativity. Instead of developing original ideas, they may begin relying on machines to think for them.
Another growing concern is assessment. Assignments and projects have always helped lecturers understand the strengths and weaknesses of individual students. Today, this has become much more difficult. A beautifully written assignment may no longer reflect a student’s true knowledge.
Some lecturers now rely more heavily on oral presentations, class discussions and physical examinations to determine whether students genuinely understand what they submitted. AI has also widened the gap between students from different economic backgrounds.
Students with expensive smartphones, stable internet access and paid AI subscriptions often enjoy more advantages than those who cannot afford these tools. As a result, access to technology is increasingly influencing academic performance. Education experts warn that this digital divide could worsen educational inequality if schools fail to provide equal learning opportunities.
Parents also have an important role to play. Many celebrate improved grades without asking how those results were achieved. Monitoring how children use technology at home can also help reduce overdependence.
Despite these concerns, AI is not the enemy. In fact, many educators believe Artificial Intelligence has enormous potential when used responsibly. It can explain difficult concepts, improve grammar, support students with disabilities and make learning more interactive. The challenge is ensuring that students use AI to enhance learning not to replace it.
Schools across Nigeria may also need to introduce clear guidelines on responsible AI use, train teachers on modern assessment methods and educate students about academic integrity in the digital age.
Technology will continue to evolve, and AI is here to stay. The real question is whether Nigerian students will use it as a tool to become better learners or allow it to become a shortcut that weakens the very skills education is meant to build.
As classrooms continue to embrace digital innovation, one thing remains certain no machine can replace curiosity, discipline, originality and the ability to think for oneself. Those qualities remain the true foundation of education, and they will continue to determine the success of Nigeria’s next generation.
BY MAHA PRECIOUS
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