The Abia State government has called on participants in the ongoing Abia State Leadership Academy Bootcamp to move beyond using Artificial Intelligence for simple tasks but instead harness it to solve real-life problems, improve their skills and create opportunities.
Special Assistant to the governor on digital economy, Miss. Elizabeth Chijioke stated this on Monday night at Government College Umuahia during a social etiquette and value session.
Speaking during an interactive session at the bootcamp, Chijioke said AI should be seen as a tool that supports human thinking, not one that replaces it.
She warned participants against accepting every AI-generated response as accurate, stressing that users must remain responsible for verifying information.
“AI can support your work, but it cannot think or make decisions for you.
” At the end of the day, you’re responsible for whatever comes out of it,” she warned.
Chijioke explained that AI often gives responses that agree with users unless they ask critical questions, urging participants to request sources and verify important information before relying on it.
The session became interactive as participants were invited to identify problems affecting their communities and suggest possible solutions.
A participant, Prince Okafor, highlighted Nigeria’s unstable electricity supply and proposed the use of large-scale solar power installations to improve electricity access.
While acknowledging the suggestion, the facilitator encouraged participants to think beyond obvious answers and develop structured approaches to solving problems.
Another participant, Chidalu Precious Okonkwo, raised concerns about delays in public hospitals, describing how patients often spend several hours before receiving medical attention.
Okonkwo contrasted the situation with an automated radiography unit where digital processes have significantly reduced waiting time.
Responding, Chijioke explained that automation, rather than artificial intelligence alone, was responsible for the improved efficiency.
“When you improve processes through automation, people are attended to faster.
” If you’ve seen a system that works, compare it with the existing one and present your findings.
” That’s how leadership begins by identifying problems and proposing solutions,” she said.
Chijioke also encouraged participants to take advantage of AI in searching for scholarships, fellowships, career opportunities and research materials, instead of limiting its use to generating images or social media content.
She noted that the quality of AI responses depends largely on the quality of instructions given by the user.
“Don’t just ask AI to give you ideas. Give it context. Tell it exactly what you’re trying to achieve, who it’s for and the limitations.
” The better your prompt, the better the result,” she said.
Also speaking, Product manager and cybersecurity specialist, Onyinyechi Chijioke used instances from project management, product development, DevOps and cybersecurity to explain that the same leadership and organisational skills can be applied across different careers, including medicine, law, engineering, education, business and public service.
She concluded by urging participants to remain curious, embrace continuous learning and adapt to technological changes
