Artificial Intelligence for Inclusive Education in Nigeria: Systemic Challenges and Bridging the 21st Century Digital Divide
Nathaniel Samuel, Olufunbi Jimoh AKOREDE, Adekemi Yewande KARIMU · Federal University Gusau Faculty of Education Journal · 2025
Nigeria’s education sector is constrained by entrenched systemic challenges that impede progress toward equity, efficiency, and digital inclusion. These challenges ranges from inadequate infrastructure, weak digital governance, and teacher shortages to deeply rooted inequities - disproportionately affect marginalized and underserved populations. While Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly leveraged globally to deliver inclusive, adaptive, and personalized education, its adoption in Nigeria remains fragmented and underdeveloped. This study critically explores AI’s transformative potential within the Nigerian context, framing inclusivity not merely as access, but as the integration of cultural relevance, learner personalization, and equity-driven pedagogy. Emphasis is placed on rural and underserved areas where the digital divide is most pronounced. The paper examines strategic points for AI deployment during periods of educational reform or recovery, the roles of key stakeholders (students, teachers, administrators, and policymakers) and the ethical imperatives of context-sensitive integration. Core barriers identified include low digital literacy, infrastructural deficits, inconsistent policy frameworks, and gaps in data governance. In response, the study proposes a context-aware roadmap anchored in global best practices and local innovation, highlighting principles of equitable access, systemic transformation, and sustainable governance. It concludes that AI, when strategically implemented, represents not a distant aspiration but an immediate, viable instrument for closing Nigeria’s educational divide and driving inclusive transformation in the 21st century.