BEYOND THE BALLOT: AI/FIMI & ELECTORAL INFORMATION INTEGRITY IN NIGERIA

 Between the 2nd and 3rd of November 2026, Ladi Kwali Hall, Abuja Continental Hotel was the venue a crucial two-day Summit with theme: 'Beyond the ballot: Safeguarding electoral information integrity in the age of AI/FIMI'. I was a valued stakeholder at the event. The conveners were: International Press Centre (IPC), Centre for Media & Society (CEMESO) and Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI). The European Union funded the project. 

It's important to quote a section of the concept note as regards the Summit proposition: 'Nigeria requires more than public awareness of AI-enabled manipulation. It requires a trusted, coordinated and rights-respecting system through which institutions can anticipate emerging threats, verify evidence, escalate incidents, communicate authority and learn from each response...' The summit convened institutions with operational responsibility for the electoral information environment to agree and test the foundations of the system ahead of the 2027 elections. The Presidential election is approximately eighty days away!

L-R: Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa & Prof. Joash Amupitan (Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission - INEC)

Some of the stakeholders and resource persons were:

*Prof. Joash Amupitan - Chairman, INEC

*Prof. Attahiru Jega - Former Chairman, INEC

*H.E. Gautier Mignot - EU Ambassador to Nigeria & ECOWAS

*Hon. Mohammed Idris - Minister of Information & National Orientation (Represented)

*Dr. Lanre Arogundade - ED, International Press Centre (IPC)

*Dr. Akin Akingbulu - ED, Centre for Media & Society (CEMESO)

*Dr. Joe Abah - Country Director, Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) - Represented

*Prof. Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika - Professor of Mass Communication, University of Lagos/Keynote Speaker

*Dr. Monday Ashibogwu - AI & Digital Media Professional/Journalist

*Prof. Lambe Mustapha - Professor of Mass Communication, University of Ilorin

*Prof. Umaru Pate - Director, Centre for Journalism & Nwe Media Studies, Bayero University, Kano

*Kunle Adebajo - Editor, African Academy for Open Source Investigations

*Elonoi Hickok - MD, Global Network Initiative (GNI)

*Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa - Ethical AI Specialist/Conflict Transformation & Peacebuilding Consultant

*Dayo Oketola - Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman

*Ade Atobatele - Founder, Bootstrap Africa

*Dr. Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji - Founder, Rise Network

*Charles Ebube - DG Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) - Represented

*Muhammed Haruna - INEC's National Commissioner/Chairman, Information & Voter Education

*ACP Bashir Abdullahi - National Cybercrime Centre, Nigeria Police Force (NPF)

*Ahmad Aluko - Simulation Director/Research & Information Disorder Specialist

*Monday Ashibogwu - AI & Digital Media Professional/Journalist

*Seun Akinbaloye - Broadcast Jounalist

*Maupe Ogun-Yusuf - Bradcast Journalist

*Engr. Gbenga Adebayo - President, Association of Licensed Telecom Operators

*Dan Bello - Socila Media Influencer

*Rukayya Mohammed - Social Media Influencer

*Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu - Professor of Political Science, UNN/Former National Commissioner, INEC

*Comrade Rex Elanu Benue - AAC

*Amb. Rufus Anjenigba - SDP

*Bolaji Abdullahi - ADC

*Osa Director - NDC/Representative of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC)

*Dr. Ify Onyegbulam - Broadcast Journalist

*Aisha Yesufu - Political Activist & Co-Founder, Bring Back Our Girls

*Hon Nnenna Ukeje - Former Member, House of Representatives

*Samson Itodo - Executive Director, Yiaga Africa

*Dr. Lawrence Bayode - Director, ICT Department, INEC (Represented)

*Prof. Nhinifea Suraj - Professor of Mass Communication

*Taiwo Obe - Founder, Journalism Clinic

*Dr. Tunde Adegbola - Presenter of the Draft Electoral Information Protocol

The Summit clearly distinguished between two related but different challenges. The first is electoral information manipulation from any source, foreign or domestic. The second is Foreign Information Manipulation & Interference (FIMI) - intentional and coordinated manipulative activity by foreign state and non-state actors, sometimes conducted through domestic proxies or enabling infrastructure. The two challenges require different mandates, evidentiary thresholds, attribution standards and escalation routes. At the Summit, participants built concensus on the threats posed by AI and FIMI and on collaborative solutions to be applied before, during and after elections...

L-R: H.E. Gautier Mignot (EU Ambassador to Nigeria & ECOWAS) & Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa (Ethical AI Specialist & Conflict Transformation/Peacebuilding Consultant)

The following were the sessions for the two-day Summit

*Keynote address: 'Safeguarding electoral information integrity in the age of AI: A call for preparedness, partnership & democratic resilience - Prof. Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika

*Evidence Briefing: Nigeria's 2027 threat landscape

Mapping the electoral information environment: An overview of AI-generated content, FIMI, false electoral information, hate speech & coordinated manipulation, including current trends, likely scenarios & risk indicators

*Fireside Conversation: Understanding FIMI in the Nigerian and international contexts

What distinguishes FIMI from Domestic Disinformation & legitimate political expression? Examination of coordination, proxy networks, attribution thresholds & uncertainty. International lessons and proportionate, rights-respecting responses

*Votes, Voices & Algorithms: Who is most exposed?

How is electoral information manipulated, & who is most exposed? Impersonation, algorithmic amplification, local language information gaps & gendered attacks. Which actors & communities are most vulnerable? Which risk are institutions least prepared to manage?

*Protecting Electoral Information - Who verifies, Who communicates? Who responds?

Who responds when electoral information is attacked? Focus: institutional mandates, verification standards, platform responsibility, legal safeguards, public communication & coordination standards

*Information Under Attack: A multi-stakeholder crisis SIMULATION

How the EMB, Journalists, Independent Fact Checkers, CSOs & Digital Platforms verify a disputed electoral instruction/communicate under uncertainty & coordinate appropriate responses while maintaining their separate responsibilities

*Synthesis: Priority threats & decisions for Day 2

Prioritised electoral information threat map presented. Lessons from Day 1's simulation noted. Unresolved questions on verification, communication, escalation & institutional responsibilities identified.

*Telecoms Accountability & Responsible Influencing: What should telecons operators & influencers do differently in 2027?

*Political Parties' Dialogue: Campaigning without deception

Campaigning with integrity in the age of AI. Which uses of AI in campaigning are acceptable & what crosses the line? Will Political Parties disclose & label AI-generated content? How will Parties prevent, discourage & respond to deceptive conduct by Party officials, contracted campaigners & affiliated influencers?

*Protecting Women's Political Participation from information attacks

Gendered information, impersonation, sexualised synthetic content & practical support for targeted women analysed

*When Results Become Rumours: Protecting Information Integrity During Counting, Collation & Declaration

The following addressed: Unofficial tallies, misrepresented result documents, premature victory claims, misleading explanation of delays & public understanding of result stages. How should electoral institutions,journalists, observers & platforms communicate when official tallies, misleading result images & premature declarations compete with verified information?

*Technical Briefing: Draft Electoral Information Integrity Response Protocol

From detection to trusted public information. Presentation of Draft Protocol informed by day one's simulation & day two's discussions covering detection, verification, harm assessment, escalation, public communication, platform referral & learning. Discussed: How actors will detect, assess, verity, escalate, communicate & review information incidents

*Abuja Commitment & Next Steps for the Proposed Nigeria's Electoral Information Integrity Partnership

Presentaion & discussion of the Abuja Commitment on AI, FIMI & Electoral Information Integrity. Establishment of Steering Committee of Nigeria's Electoral Information Integrity Partnership with clear Terms of Reference, Work Streams, Focal Points & follow-up time-table for tracking implementation of the Electoral Information Integrity Protocol

L-R: Prof. Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika (Professor of Mass Communication, University of Lagos/Keynote Speaker) & Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa

In her robust keynote address titled: 'Safeguarding electoral information integrity in the AI era', Prof. Abigail Ndisika talked about 'architectural resilience in the terrain of technological disruptors like FIMI and AI deployed unethically' via synthetic media, etc. AI is neither an absolute evil nor an innocent human aid. Machine Learning (ML) Algorithms could track official vehicle deployment, detect voter anomalies, synthetic audio/low band width audio message, deepfake video fabrication, automated algorithmic voter suppression and false security alerts. FIMI could effect narrative laundering via proxies. Formerly, all information was treated as the same, but now we need to be more selective about the information we consume/share. Before sharing we must always verify.

Abigail made some propositions:

-The asymmetry of virality

-Proxy infiltration (foreign interference)

-Weaponisation of institutional weaknesses

-Adequate management of complex risk factors

-Electoral Information Integrity Response Protocol

-Early Warning & Early Response (EWER) - Capture emerging synthetic threats

-Categorise threats to low, medium & high

-Route suspected information to 'Verification Hub'

-Rapid and authritative counter-messaging (preferrably multi-lingual). Note here that INEC must remain the central source of authentic information

-Post incident review

Abigail said the Press should not be gagged under the guise of eliminating fake news while noting that the integrity of the 2027 elections is being determined right now because of the choices we make before, during and after the polls... 

INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan told the audience that he had to halt his zonal tour to assess election readiness for the Summit. He noted that Prof. Jega (former INEC Chair) had gone to war (conducted elections) and emerged victorious, and he was looking forward to being a successful INEC Chairman. He quoted J.F. Kennedy: 'Voter ignorance threatens collective security'...There's heightened electoral vulnerability. The terrain of electoral vulnerability has shifted beyond ballot box snatching. There's now Foreign Information Manipulation & Interference (FIMI), Deepfake, Synthetic Content, Digital Manipulation, etc. Some of these potential and real time attacks are highly coordinated and heavily funded.

We should note that AI is not an enemy of democracy if ethically deployed. AI can refine logistics, streamline data analysis, etc. But AI could also be disruptive via the manipulation of data, high fidelity cloning of public figures, etc while targeting particular institutions! We now have an AI Desk in INEC. How do we contain AI in the electoral system? Citizens should learn how to vote correctly and how to verify viral information. Citizens should be able to distinguish between authentic information from INEC and fake news. There sould be safeguards against foreign manipulation of elections. Fact Checkers, Investigative Journalists and other relevant stakeholders must wort together...

In his remarks Prof, Attagiru Jega said that Chat bots powered by AI could be used by INEC to diseminate authentic information to voters.

At lunch: L-R: Maupe Ogun-Yusuf (Broadcast Journalist/Anchor for session on 'Votes. Voices & Algorithms: Who is most exposed & what are Nigeria's greatest vulnerabilities?'); Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa & Dr. Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji (Founder Arise Network/Panelist for 'Votes, Voice & Algorithms')

The following are some of the key take aways from the Summit:

*There's is a clear difference between 'announcement of results' & DECLARATION of results. Only INEC is qualified to declare results. However, Media Houses could announce results which have been verified at Polling Units in LGAs/Wards/States

*Africans and indeed Nigerians need to build local AI platforms instead of relying only on platforms from the Western hemisphere

*Deep Fake and Synthetic media affect women (especially politicians) disproportionately. Therefore more safeguards should be put in place to protect women in cyber-space.

*AI should be ethically deployed in the electoral process

*The Draft Electoral Information Integrity Response Protocol is work in progress which should constantly be fine-tuned in accordance with emerging scenarios

*The Abuja Commitment on Electoral Integrity is our shared responsibility towards crdible elections in Nigeria.

*The lead agency for every stage of the workflow should be collectively/clearly identified

For me, the high point of the Summit was the efficiently and effectively delivered simulation exercise on the first day where INEC, CSOs, Journalists, Independent Fact Checkers and Digital Platforms verify a disputed electoral instuction and communicate under uncertainty while coordinating appropriate responses! The simulated 'verification' was done by the three grops in record time. The electorate would be thrilled to experience this same level of dedication on election days! 

With the active collaboration of CSOs, INEC, Platform regulatory agencies, security agencies, etc. against FIMI and unethical deployment of AI, we look forward to credible 2027 elections...

Taiwo Obe a.k.a. Taijo Wonukabe (Founder/ED Journalism Clinic/Anchor of Technical Briefing - Draft Electoral Integrity Response) & Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa

                                                               Same photo as above

   L-R: Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa & Ms. Husseina Akila Bangshika (mni) - Rtd Director of News, FRCN

         L-R: Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa & Dr. Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji (Founder, Arise Network)

KNOWLEDGE CAPACITY & EXPORT READINESS FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN NIGERIA

This post highlights the main elements of the training workshop by Africa Women Network of AfCFTA (AWNA) with support from Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES). Hauwa Mustapha is the President of AWNA-Nigeria Chapter launched in 2023 in Abuja. I am a pioneer member of AWNA-Nigeria. Jennifer Stephen is AWNA's Programme Coordinator and compere at the event, held at Nugget Hotel, Abuja on the 30th of October 2026. Please check out related posts on AWNA - dayokusa.blogspot.com/2023/07/africa-women-network-of-afcfta-awna.html; dayokusa.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-impact-of-afcfta-on-womens.html...

                                           Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa @ the Workshop venue

There were three subthemes at the Workshop:

*Understanding AfCFTA: Opportunities & challenges for wome entrepreneurs in Nigeria

*Understanding trade documentation, trade facilitation & cross-border trade procedures

*Standards certification compliance & export readiness for women in cross-border trade

There were four facilitators:

*Dr. Halima Kadiri - National Agency for Food & Drug Administration (NAFDAC)

*Chioma Chudi-Anaukwu - Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON)

*Lilian Egwuaba - Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)

*Zahra Musa - Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)

L-R: Hauwa Mustapha (President AWNA-Nigeria) & Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa (AWNA-Nigeria Chapter Pioneer)

The following constitute the nitty-gritty of the interactive facilitation at the workshop:

*Nigeria signed the AfCFTA Agreement on July 7, 2019. Nigeria's Federal Executive Council (FEC) ratified the AfCFTA Agreement on November 11, 2020. The instrument of Ratification was deposited December 5, 2020. Nigeria has also ratified the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade...

*Any product for export under the umbrella of the AfCFTA must be of African origin.

*Under the AfCFTA, you pay relatively low import duty for products exported to other African countries

*There are special loans available for women (without collateral) under the AfCFTA

*Female traders who cannot speak English are covered, because there's room for translation

*There's a Digital Trade Payment Platform which eliminates extortion by middle men

*There's a Tariff Book in the Nigeria Customs Service and visa is unnecessary within ECOWAS

*Women entrepreneurs within the AfCFTA must be familiar with the procedure and specification for non-oil export. 'Export risk' is eliminated via proper documentation and conformity with export specification. All products must be certified by NAFDAC, SON, NCS, etc before leaving the shores of Nigeria. Check out www,nafdac.registration...

*Chemicals for export require further authentication because they are highly inflammable and they are in classes A, B, C & D according to the level of volatility. You need an LPO to purchase certain classes of chemicals. NAFDAC collaborates with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for the inspection and certification for export in the case of highly sensitive chemicals

*For those in the fashion and garment-making sector, traditional/ethnic wears of African origin need to be standardised into specific sizes like English wears. For example, can we standardise size 14 in 'Agbada' (flowing robe), 'Iro & Buba' (ethnic blouse & wrapper), 'Nigerian Long Skirt & Blouse', etc

There were about fifty female participants from various sectors who benefitted from the training. Many of them have indicated interest in further training. Kudos to the AWNA-Nigeria team that pulled off this impactful session...

                   L-R: Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa & Jennifer Stephen (Coordinator, AWNA)

 

AI LEARNING, INFORMATION INTEGRITY & DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

 The title of this post was the subject matter of a two-day Bootcamp by WAY4Nigeria (Women & Youth for Action - Nigeria), supported by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES). The Bootcamp was held online between the 25th and 26th of September 2026. I was one of the four 'Core Trainers'. The method employed for the training was heavy on interactive engagement with the participants in real time. That was why even online, we were able to fit the patticipants into three 'rooms' for the practical illustration of the delivered concepts. Ms. Jennifer Stephen, Director Communication, WAY4Nigeria was the effective and efficient anchor for the two-day event...

                                                                 Poster for the Bootcamp

There were four major topics for the training programme, representing the critical threads germane to the interaction viz; Understand (AI & Information disorder)/Connect (AI, Governance & Democratic Resilience)/Participate (AI, Inclusive governance, Women & Youth's participation)/Act (Verification, Fact checking & Information integrity)

*Harnessing AI to counter information disorder & strengthen democratic resilience in Nigeria - Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa

*AI, elections, governance, algorithms & public trust - Rev. Samuel Nixon

*AI for civic engagement, advocacy, political education & inclusion - Emmanuel Ami-Okhani

*Verification framework, source checking & AI-generated content - Columbus Tabuo

Each of the four themes actively engaged the participants.

In my presentation, I outlined the distinction between Misinformation, Disinformation & Malinformation. I then requested that participants simulate these different types of information disorder during group work in their various 'rooms'. The first exercise was for Group 1 to come up with '2 truths and 1 lie'. The other groups were to fish out the truth vs the lie, while corroborating same with Group 1, the originator of the scenario. They then had to determine which truth or lie was misinformation, disinformation or malinformation.

The second exercise was the transmission of an 'original message' from the first person who coined it through five others who received the message. Each person was to say what he/she heard. This was to bring out in bold relief how messages change when transmitted from one person to the other with or without malice. Were the various versions of the original message Misinformation, Disinformation or Malinformation? Besides, relevant videos were used to further explain the concepts...

Besides, participants were asked to express their opinion about the 'new' designation for AI by President Donald Trump - 'Super Intelligence - SI'. My opinion? I agree with President Trump that SI is a better label than AI...Some other participants voted for 'Artificial Super Intelligence' (ASI)...The selected 'References' at the end of my presentation were for the participants to further expand their knowledge of the subject matter beyond the Bootcamp.

What exactly was taught?

Misinformation is false or inaccurate information shared without any intention to cause harm. Disinformation is false or fabricated information deliberately created and spread to deceive, manipulate or cause harm to a person or country. Malinformation is genuine, real information that's shared out of context or leaked deliberately to inflict harm, damage reputation or attack an individual, e.g. doxxing or shared private emails. AI is the ability of computers and machines to simulate human learning, reasoning, proble-solving and decision-making...For more about the specific contents of the training, contact the organisers...

At the end of the two-day Bootcamp, participants were able to:

*Understand AI and its relevance to information integrity, governance, civic engagement and democracy

*Strengthen their knowledge of misinformation, disinformtion, deepfakes, synthetic media and AI-generated content

*Participants armed with practical AI tools for research, verification, civic education, advocacy and responsible communication

*Develop skills in fact-checking, source verification and digital investigation

*Promote ethical and responsible use of AI especially in civic, political, media and governance contexts

*Explore AI, elections and AI-generated political content. This should be related to the political influence of same on public opinion and electoral processes

*Examine the relationship between AI, governance and public decision-making, access to information, citizen-government engagement and democratic accountability

*Demonstrate how responsible AI use can strengthen civic participation, advocacy, political education, community organising and public engagement

*Explore how women and yound people can use AI responsibly to increase their participation in governance and decision-making

*Prepare highly engaged participants for advanced in-person training and future participation in the WAY4Nigeria Fact-checking Operations Room

On the whole, the Trainers' approaches were interactive, practical and participatory. I look forward to the in-person training...

                    @ the online Bootcamp - Some Core Trainers & Participants in real time

FIRST NIGERIAN PAN-AFRICAN WOMEN'S DAY

 The 31st of July every year is the day the Pan-African Women's Day is celebrated on the continent. The big deal, however, is that the day is officially celebrated for the very first time in Nigeria. The venue was the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women's Development MBNCWD) led by its Director-General, Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi. The Minister of Women Affairs, Hon. Iman Suleiman-Ibrahim was the Chair of the week-long celebration between 27th July and 1st August 2026. The theme for 2026: 'We rise with one voice, one legacy, one Africa'...

L-R: Dr. Ts'gye Rachel Leslie (ED The African Historical Society - AHS/Keynote Speaker) & Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa

Some of the activities at the week long celebration supported by UNDP, AU and UN Women were:

*The Maryam Babangida legacy experience

*The first edition of the 'International Gender Conference organised by the Organisation for Gender Advancement & Education Development International (OGAEDI) in collaboration with the MBNCWD & Yakubu Gowon University's Centre for Gender Studies & Youth Advancement (CGSYA)

*African First Ladies legacy archives

*African Women Futures Forum & Trade Show

*Immersive cultural display

*Women who built Africa: Tribute segment

*Pan-Africa women's innovation on display

*African women's fashion Heritage pavillion

*African women green futures forum

*Hall of Fame immersive experience 

The MBNCWD was a beehive of activity for a whole week. Vendors displayed bespoke clothes, food items, farm produce and sundry products. A major highlight of the celebration was the first edition of the 'International Gender Conference by OGEADI in collaboration with the MBNCWD and CGSYA - Yahubu Gowon University on the 30th of July. Esther Wghobamien (newly elected Nigerian member of the CEDAW Committee at the UN), Dr. Irene Kemi DaSilva-Ibru (Physician/Social Activist/Gender Advocate against SGBV) and a representative of the VC Nassarawa State University - Prof Saadatu Hassan Liman were Keynote speakers. The theme of the Conference was Gender, Globalisation & Good Governance with 19 sub-themes on Education, Health, Science & Technology, Mass Media & Literature, Culture, ICT, National Development, Environment, Economy, Arts & Humanities, Family, Electoral System, Service Delivery & Public Service, Sports, Law, Religion, Gender identity & Identity Politics, Women in leadership, etc. Kudos to Dr. Peter Adeyanju, President/CEO OGEADI for pulling off the spectacular Conference in collaboration with critical stakeholders!

L-R: Prof. Grace John-Kia (ABU/Co-anchor of Panel Discussion) & Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa (Consultant to DG MBNCWD/Anchor Panel Discussion) with the photo of the Hon. Minister of Women Affairs - Iman Ibrahim-Suleiman (in the background)

On the 31st of August, the Keynote Speaker for the first Nigerian Pan-African Women's Day, Dr. Ts'gye Rachel Leslie gave profound insights from the podium as regards the heroism of African women even before colonialism. Women in some African countries had mastered techniques to prevent flooding, which they shared across borders. It was indeed a successful week-long celebration. I look forward to the next edition...

                                      L-R: Prof. Grace John-Kia & Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa

                                                                         The Banner

L-R: Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa & Mrs. Ebie Emezue (Director Training - MBNCWD) before the unveiling of Omalicha (Fabulous Woman) in the background in honour of the Minister of Women Affairs, Hon. Iman Suleiman-Ibrahim...This event was a few days before the 1st Nigerian Pan-African Women's Day celebration...

Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa's Certificate of Special Recognition as Member, Planning/Technical Committee of the International Gender Conference, held on 30th July 2026 @ MBNCWD, Abuja

INVICTUS AFRICA & THE VOTER PREFERENCE SURVEY (VPS)

 The Voter Preference Survey (VPS), was launched by INVICTUS Africa on the 4th of August 2026 in Abuja. This event was novel. I have attended editions of the yearly 'Womanity Index' Reports by INVICTUS, which lay bare credible statistics as regards the status, well being, perception and sundry indices specifically relating to the Nigerian woman. But this launch...was different. It was about voter preference as regards three distinct under-represented demographics: Women, Persons With Disability (PWDs) and the Youth. I was assured that the Womanity Index Report would come up later this year. I must at the outset commend the doggedness of the ED of INVICTUS, Buky Sonibare and her team for this exceptional Report that gives us startling revelations backed by facts and figures rather than mere speculation...

 L-R: Ms. Joy Edo (Invictus Africa) & Dr, Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa. Note that Joy's T-shirt has inscribed on it the percentage for one of the demographics. Ingenious, ain't it?

Three publications were launched. 'A national survey of voter attitudes, post voting behaviour & future voting intentions ahead of Nigeria's 2027 elections'.... 1) Would you vote for a Woman? 2) Would you vote for a PWD? 3) Would you vote for a Youth? 

This is the cover page of one of the three publications by INVICTUS Africa titled: 'Would you vote for a woman?'

What did INVICTUS find out about the willingness to vote for women? 

*Information Sources: Only 1 in 4 voters (26.7%) rely exclusively exclusively on digital & social media for political information. The implication of this is that traditional media (radio, TV, newspapers, Political Parties, Religious institutions, Influential individuals, etc. are also relevant)

*Past Voting Behaviour: Only 3 in 10 voters (30.9%) have ever voted for a woman candidate in any election since 1999.

*Voter Influence: 4 in 10 (42%) voters acknowledge being influenced by someone.

*Why Voters Supported Women: Nearly half (48.4%) of past supporters were driven purely by candidate-centred factors, such as track record.

*Voter Openness: More than 6 in 10 (64.4%) voters say they will vote for a woman in 2027.

*Who is most likely to commit: Female voters lead commitment @ 70.3% vs 59.1% for male voters. This is important because for me, it shows that women are always ready to support women unlike the negative narrative that they don't!

*Where Openness Has Limits: Nearly 3 in 10 (28.2%) confirmed 2027 voters have not yet committed to a female candidate.

*What it takes to win their vote: More than half of the voters (55.1%) would support a female candidate on merit alone, not just because she's a woman.

The Report then went on to analyse what the numbers mean. The research method was very thorough. We need to note that the VPS was self-funded! INVICTUS needs sponsors to undertake the post-election survey to validate or debunk some of findings pre-election. The intention of voters may not necessarily translate to the desired results during and post-election.

According to INVICTUS, 12,444 individuals responded to the survey questionnaire across Nigeria's 36 states and the FCT. Following systematic data cleaning and quality assurance screening, 1,248 records were excluded because they did not satisfy specified quality control criteria. This yielded a final analytical sample of 11,196 respondents. Over 100 enumerators were sent to the field!

 L-R: Mrs. Anita Zugwai-Chukwu, Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa & Ms. Bukky Sonibare. Note that Bukky's T-shirt has the percentage of one of the demographics inscribed on it...

To get a clearer picture from the three reports, they can be accessed on line and hard copies can be sourced via INVICTUS Africa. I have given snipets of only one of these reports in this short Blog post, but I can assure you that that the two other reports are also illuminating. Kudos once more to Bukky Shonibare and her incredible team. They are doing an incredible job even while self-sponsored. Please support INVICTUS Africa so that they can do even more...I look forward to the post election VPS...

                                          Download the three VPS Reports via the link above...

 

  
 

AI & CONTEMPORARY ART

 The exhibition of the outcomes of the STARTS 'Afropean' Intelligence Residency supported by the EU and hosted in Nigeria by Gallery of Code at Institute Francais, Abuja was held on the 26th of June 2026. I was a valued participant at the invitation of the Oscar Ekponimo, Founder Gallery of Code/Inventor Chowberry App. See also dayokusa.blogspot.com/2018/08/artificial-intelligence-ai-africa.html; dayokusa.blogspot.com/2026/02/art-in-age-of-artificial-intelligence,ai.html...Four artistes were featured:

*Peace Olatunji (Nigerian) - Inputs into pixels for AI animation

*Dan Xu (Chinese) - Egungun (Masquerade) as a metaphor

*Emmanuel Ndefo (Nigerian) - Egungun (Masquerade) as a metaphor

*Pierre-Christophe Gam (Camerounian) - The projected Living conditions of Africans in the year 2065

   L-R: Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa, Peace Olatunji, Emmanuel Ndefo & Dan Xu " the exhibition

Dan Xu and Emmanuel Ndefo displayed their work on the Masquerade as a metaphor while synchronising sound with gongs simulated on a computer. It was a sight to behold! Dan was simulating while Emmanuel was dancing (as if he was in a trance) to the rhythm. Peace Olatunji was interested in the inclusion of African elements in prixels that are inputs into computer images so that they more accurately reflect indigenous knowledge. Peace's worry was that images generated for African Mosques and Churches for example, reflected Euro-American counterparts - this is not useful for the African artistes using such prompts...

Pierre-Christophe Gam's focus was Africa in the year 2065 and beyond. Virtual Reality (VR), to which I was exposed, was his medium. While experiencing VR, I saw how Africans are likely to pray, eat, play, live together, etc. by the year 2065. I 'moved' from one room to the other for each of these experiences. Kudos to all the artistes for their unique creativity. I look forward to subsequent exhibitions that depict further development of their various forms of art while commending Gallery of Code and Alliance Francais for providing the platform for such artistic excellence...

Dan Xu explaining the simulation/synchronisation of the Masquerade to the audience. The Masquerade dummy is behind Dan...

R-L: Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa listening to Dan Xu synchronising with Emmanuel Ndefo (2nd from right with his hand to his ear) 'dancing' to the beat...

Image from the 'Dark Room' where I saw what Peace Olatunji & I complained about as inaccurate representation of Mosques in Nigeria and indeed Africa because the Pixels fed into the system were Euro-American. It's time for us to have more African Pixel inputs if African artistes are to achieve a level playing field as regards the use of AI...

Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa experiencing Virtual Reality as regards projected life in Africa in the year 2065 and beyond. It was indeed a terrific experience...

Image from the 'Dark Room' where I experienced life in Africa in 2065 and beyond as projected by Pierre-Christophe Gam...

   

 

 

3 YEARS OF RENEWED HOPE INITIATIVE (RHI) IN THE FCT

 On the 23rd of June 2026, the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) FCT's third anniversary was celebrated with fanfare at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. According to Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, Coordinator of RHI - FCT, Pioneer Mandate Secretary Women Affairs Secretariat (WAS-FCTA) and newly appointed Director-General Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Develpoment (MBNCWD), 27,345 citizens have so far benefitted from the scheme in the FCT. 

Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa with First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu in the background @ the event

Beneficiaries told touching stories of survival, growth and hope. First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu said 'The success of the RHI should be judged by the number of lives transformed. The testimonies from the FCT represent a fraction of the work we have done across the nation.' Present at the event were beneficiaries, government officials, traditional rulers and development partners. The FCT RHI report shows that 27,375 citizens benefitted in three years. The breakdown is as follows: The programme reached 3,307 children, 4,427 were economically empowered, 4,866 benefitted in food security and agriculture, 970 persons with disability (PWDs) were impacted, 550 elderly persons above 65 years old benefitted, 4,423 persons empowered via social protection and system strengthening...

The Coordinator, Dr. Benjamins-Laniyi said: 'Our work focused on enabling households improve food production, supporting income-generating activities, protecting children and vulnerable adults and strengthening local systems to continue services beyond our direct interventions. The initiative was built around five strategic pillars and more than 15 major interventions - vocational training, micro-grants and market linkages, food/agricultural interventions (provision of inputs, training in improved farming techniques and post harvest support).

These interventions have translated to keeping businesses afloat as against liquidation, buy supplies, pay school fees, expand a trade, etc. For 50 year old Martha Demu, a.k.a. Loud It, a tailor and shoe maker, RHI has transformed her life by giving her a sewing machine and shoemaking tools. Martha sells her shoes for as much as N40,000. She said she was directionless before benefitting from the RHI programme. RHI moved Martha from dependence to dignity. The programme has helped her teach others the art of shoemaking.

The journey of the RHI started on the 7th of July 2023 with the inaugural meeting at State House. The first intervention came on July 13 2023 with support for flood victims in Trademore Estate, Lugbe, Abuja. The support for the RHI by the Minister & Minister of State for the FCT was duly acknowledged. The First Lady praised Dr. Benjamins-Laniyi for her dedication to the ideals of the RHI programme, which contributed immensely to her success as Coordinator.

Others who spoke were the Minister of Women Affairs - Hon. Iman Suleiman-Ibrahim, wife of the Onah of Abaji - Hajia Hauwa Ibrahim Baba (President of the 17 wives of the FCT Traditional Rulers Association); President of the Defence & Police Officers' Wives Association (DEPOWA) - Mrs. Meman Femi-Oluyede; 10 year old Temidayo (Elicited spoken word in honour of the First Lady); Beneficiaries of the RHI FCT NITDA programme (Girls in Tech); The Elderly; Persons With Disability (PWDs); Market Women and Women Leaders.

On the whole, the 6 Area Councils, 62 Wards and 17 Tribal Chiefdoms in the FCT have been positively impacted by the RHI proramme...

LEADING WITH OUR HUMANITY

 The headline for this post is the title of the book written by Amina Salihu, Ph.D, mni. The book was presented to the public on the 22nd of May at Yar'Adua Centre, Abuja. The foreword was written by Leymah Gbowee (Nobel Peace Laureate). Lest I forget that the event entailed a triple celebration:

*Presentation of Amina Salihu's (Deputy Director, McArthur Foundation) book to the public. Title of book - Leading with our humanity: Elevating communities through gender equity & social inclusion (GESI)

*Celebration of the National Institute for Policy & Strategic Studies (NIPSS) - Senior Executive Course 45. These were classmates of the author, Amina Salihu...

*The yearly Colloquium of 'The School of Politics', founded by Dr. Oby Ezekwesili (Former Minister - Nigeria & Former Vice President, World Bank)

'Leading with Humanity: Elevating communities through gender equity & social inclusion' by Amina Salihu

Spoken word by Asinat the Poet caught my attention:

They told us that community is a location

But community is a promise

Community is the centre

When we don't lead with humanity

Then our sisters are stripped by vulture-like men

This is becoming normal

Whole families left homeless in their home territories

We say 'no' to inequality, to being treated without equity

Tired of keeping quiet in the face of bullies just to keep safe

This is our reality

But we must do better

Let's lead with our humanity...

Then came Ms. Toyin Akinniyi (Vice President Africa - Luminate):

We must all lead with our humanity whenever we can - Lima Buwi

It's a call to our inner courage, which if we pay attention, is always present in a way. Development is freedom. But freedom is not distributed equally when GESI is absent.

Amina Salihu

If losing my voice for one day could elicit so much disruption for me and others, then I can imagine the everyday reality for those who are deaf and/or cannot talk! We should lead with the power of our philosophy, not just our voices. We need more positive collaborations like the 'G4'. Your job as a humane intercessor is never done, so keep learning. This book will challenge your 'who gets a seat at the table decisions'. I hope we nurture a better world through this book. At an earlier forum, Amina described herself as an 'Activator Feminist' - a catalyst that activates noble causes. See for example, dayokusa.blogspot.com/2025/03/nigeria-peer-review-community-of.html

Amina was given a gift by members of NIPSS Senior Executive Course 45. Dr. Salihu then went on to verbalise some nuggets:

*Power is most visible in what it takes...The Village Square Conversation: Politics is local, everything is political. Everyone must count. The grassroots can teach the blade of the grass some truth.

*Don't take grassroots people for granted. How does every penny we spend improve the lives of the citizens, especially the rural dwellers? 

*Bring gratitude and appreciative inquiry into every discourse

Every March 8, International Women's Day, I write two letters: One to a male icon and the other to a female icon. To be in a community is to co-create innovative issues. We must elevate our communities if we are to rise...

Snipets from the book

*Barr. Chinwe Ndubueze mni (EFCC/Senior Executive Course 1994) - read page 32 xxii para1. 'Keep actors shaping GESI

*Abubakar Sadiq Umar read para 2, page 3, chapter 3.

 'We have always placed people at the centre of our work, honouring the world in which we live and serve. It could hardly be otherwise with Kole Shettima, member Leadership Advisory Team...The question is always asked: 'How does our work improve the quality of life of the poor, for every penny we spend?'

*Ishaya Bako (ED Bako Studios)

We should drive change through values. Change does not occur in isolation. Attending to the ecosystem ensures equity. Emphasis then shifts from short term outputs to long term positive transformation...

*Toun Okewale-Sonaiya (Chair, Board of Directors Women Radio): page 126 on GESI

We should appoint dedicated gender staff. Story-telling can promote gender norms at the community level.

*Prof. Stanley Udedi, mni read chapter 18, page 176

There should be practical GESI workplan guide for teams and allies in every practice. The Participation, Action, Reach & Knowledge (PARK) framework is a practical GESI workplace guide designed for busy policymakers.

*Medina (Grade 5, 'Not Forgotten' FCT School) read page 231

Mercedes luxury buses are of course in a class of their own. They have re-invented the English language, turning it on its head and truly owning it like a sort of extended family member's right to name the child - after all, we are related to the English by colonialism.

*Hajia Amina Jumba Bida read page 231

'Summary of blessings'...Risks, opportunities, reaching the target audience at the right time...We are inclusive.

It was then announced that there's an abridged version of the book with foreword by Erelu Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi (Former First Lady of Ekiti State/Co-Founder AMANDLA)

Dr. Oby Ezekwesili (Founder School of Politics - SPPG/Former President World Bank)

I founded SPPG because I realised that if we do not groom a more credible alternative to the contemporary process of selection and mentoring into the political process, then we as Nigerians will remain stuck! At SPPG we are raising the next generation of leaders ethically. GESI should remain the framework for inclusivity in our society...Community is not geographic alone. The theme for the annual SPPG Colloquium this year is quite apt: Community acting as one is the antidote to bad governance...

A major take home for me was the fact that the Book Presentation was not seen as a money-making venture as is the case with similar endeavours. The book was given free of charge to all attendees. Those who came very late and could not get copies can scan the back of the pamphlet for the event and download the book for free! This is the way to go. Congrats to Amina Salihu and her incrdible team for this professionally packaged event. I wish you more ink in your pen...

        Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa with the banner for the Book Presentation in the background

THE ROLE OF AI IN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

 On the 30th of April 2026, Dialogue House - BPIA Discussion Group held a virtual parley which involved participants from many countries. I was a valued speaker from Nigeria. The theme of the discussion was: The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in international development & its impact on our environment.

                                                           Poster for the virtual discussion

The Moderator was Jennifer Stephen, Co-Chair Dialogue House. Apart from the six speakers, there were fifty other participants. The speakers were:

*Jonathan Cummings (Former BPIA Board Member)

*Welton O'Neal III (Policy Analyst Forge Group LLC)

*Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa (Consultant Gender & Conflict Transformation)

*Samuel Nixon Jr. (CEO/Founder AI & Workforce Development)

*Columbus Tabuo (AI Engineer/Founder UNREAL)

*Jasmine Rename (Research Programme Manager in Clinical Psychology)

In my intervention, I concentrated on my niche: Gender, Conflict Transformation & Peacebuilding. AI appears in my work with women thus: 

*Combating  Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV)

-AI powered reporting tools e.g. AI Chatbots (like 'Her Safe Space') that allow survivors of GBV to report abuse via WhatsApp. This App offers real time support in local languages.

-Mapping Hotspots: AI geo-spatial tools can analyse social media and text-based reports to identify high risk areas for GBV across Nigeria's six geo-political zones

-Deepfakes could be combated. For example, pornography targeting Nigerian women in public life can be detected via ethical frameworks. Non-consensual sexual imagery is then exposed for what it is.

*Conflict Transformation...

-AI shows up not as a replacement for human empathy, but as a powerful augmenting tool that enhances my ability to analyse, prevent and resolve complex disputes. It shifts my practice from reactive conflict transformation/resolution to its proactive form. This is achieved through data-driven insights, identified communication patterns and facilitation of more inclusive dialogue.

-Proactive Early Warning Systems (EWSs). Predictive analysis via identification of common patterns, sentiment shifts, identification of conflict hot spots, etc.

-Data Mining: Machine Learning (ML) Algorithms that identify patterns of social unrest and political instability

-Monitoring risks: AI tracks changes in economic indicators, social narratives, etc. in order to predict flashpoints.

-Simulation/Role Play: AI-driven scenarios in the practice of Negotiation, Mediation and Crisis Management.

*Post-Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding (PB)

-Evaluation and analysis of Peace Agreements/Intervention Strategies

-Resource Mapping to distribute aid equitably

*Concerns

-AI Solutionism: Note that AI cannot resolve all human-centred conflict. AI should support, not replace human empathy and context-aware judgement

-Algorithm Bias from Training Data & Skewed Recommendations

Closing Remarks: Many of the speakers were of the view that ethical AI should be more seriously enforced in the delicate age of 'Humanoids'. AI cannot replace real-time human connection in all sectors. AI can shorten the time for data analysis and the detection of patterns in society...I look forward to the next edition of the dialogue series,,,

FCT WOMEN POST CSW 70 LEADERSHIP COLLOQUIUM

 On the 7th of April 2026, UN Women was host to Women Affairs Secretariat (WAS) FCTA at UN House in Abuja. The parley was to analyse policies, platforms and partnerships consequential to the post Convention on the Status of Women (CSW) 70 era in the FCT and beyond. CSW 70 was held between the 9th and 19th of March 2026. The theme was 'Rights, Justice & Action'. At least 37 member states were unanimous that access to justice is non-negotiable.

Banner for the FCT Women post CSW 70 parley where leaders championed relevant policies, platforms & partnerships

Some of the agreed conclusions at CSW 70 were:

*There should be equitable legal systems

*Abolish structural barriers that limit women

*The Universal Declaration of Human Rights & the Beijing Declaration should always be taken into consideration

*There should be safe, enabling and violence-free environment for women/girls

*There should be adequate funding for women's programmes/issues via gender-responsive budgeting i.e. resources should be allocated where needed

L-R: Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa, Krittayawan Tina Boonto (UNAIDS Country Director Nigeria), Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi (Mandate Secretary WAS-FCTA) & Aanu Benjamins-Laniyi (Daughter of MS-WAS)

Ms. Beatrice Eyong (UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria & ECOWAS) represented the UN Resident & Humanitarian Coordinator. If all humans are born free and equal, why is it that in 2026 women still do not have their freedom? Women cannot gain if there's no justice. Nigeria has a private sector led Sexual & Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Prevention & Response Coalition. UN Women suports the activities of the coalition. There's a viable Sex Offenders' Register which should be updated regularly.

Dr. Princess Jumai Idonije (SA Technical to the Minister of Women Affairs) represented the Minister). 2026 has been declared by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the Year of Families. Social security measures cover at least 10 million households. The Renewed Hope Social Impact Intervention covers the 774 Local Government Area in the country - clean energy and secure livelihoods are a germane part of the deal. There's also the Women's Digital Harmony Initiative - the Happy Women's Hour. Over 20 million women have been mentored. There is the National Electronic Dashboard for reporting SGBV cases. Survivor support systems are in place. The Care Economy is now officially recognised. Unpaid work is scrutinised.

We need strong legal/policy frameworks like the National Women Economic Policy & VAPP Act. Beyond domestication, there should be gazetting and affirmative procurement systems. Apart from gender budgeting, there shouls be social inclusion. Women's participation in Parliament in Nigeria is below 10%, this should improve. Positive Masculinity should be adopted as a strategy. The National Boychils Policy is in order.

Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi (Mandate Secretary WAS-FCTA) reeled out some of the economic and social empowerment programmes initiated by her since she was appointed MS:

*Gender & Human Security: Focus on Women in the FCT. This is in collaboration with the University of Abuja (now Yakubu Gowon University) & the Office of the Security Adviser, FCT.

*The Abuja Accelerators project supported by UN Women  

*The Cassava (Apu) Women's project supported by UN Women

*Box Out GBV project in collaboration with NSCDC

A number of  WAS-FCTA associates gave solidarity messages: Wife of the Ona of Abaji, President NCWS - Princess Edna Azura, Mama Connect (A grassroots politician), etc. The various Departments within WAS-FCTA presented a synopsis of their work at the Secretariat.

In my intervention as Consultant to MS-WAS on WPS (Women, Peace & Security), I talked about the conference on 'Gender & Human Security: Focus on Women in the FCT'...It was a three-layered conference held in 2024. It began in March with engagement with WDOs (Women Development Officers). The WDOs elicited the rather similar security challenges in the six Area Councils of the FCT. Then came the Pre-Conference in June, where the other Secretariats in FCTA were invited to highlight the intersection of their work with security issues. They were unanimous that security of the FCT was and still is a cross-cutting issue. Without security, there can be no development. 

The Conference proper was a pot pourri of issues: Transportation, Health, Social Services, Agriculture, Education, AI (Artificial Intelligence), WWDs (Women With Disability), Safety in the digital space, Role of NSCDC in FCT security, Youth community engagement, Role of the Armed Forces, Self-safety AI tools for women, Food safety and CC (Climate Change). The issues were exhaustively discussed with a vision to make it an annual coference. But lack of funds continues to be a major deterrent in view of the fact that the conference could hold last year. We hope that we can hold it this year with the theme: Safety of FCT Women in Agriculture.

It was a robust meeting that connected the dots between the takeaways from the CSW 70 Conference and the work of WAS-FCTA. We look forward to CSW 71...

             Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa @ the WAS-FCTA Post CSW 70 Leadership Meeting

 

#GIVE TO GAIN: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY (IWD) 2026

 Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), celebrated International Women's Day (IWD) 2026 on the 12th of March at Abuja Continental Hotel. I was a valued participant. IWD is celebrated world wide on the 8th of March, but many organisations celebrate the day during the month of March at their convenience. DBN's celebration was spectacular because it culminated in a N6m windfall for six awardees who had undergone a three-month mentoring facilitated by the Bank and her partners...they had three more months to go to complete their six-month tutelage. Each of the young ladies got one million Naira to further develop her business. In essence DBN gave N6m to gain six promising female entrepreneurs for further grooming which could lead to excellence in their various enterprises - all in the spirit of #Give To Gain, the theme for IWD this year...Impressive! 

              L-R: Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa & Mrs. Kemi Adeosun (Keynote Speaker/Former Minister)

Mrs. Kemi Adeosun (Keynote Speaker & Former Minister): I have transited from the public sector to entrepreneurship. I have set up DashMe Foundation. There's a financing gap in Nigeria, and SMEs (Small & Medium Scale Enterprises) are filling this gap. SMEs need support. That's why what DBN is doing - supporting six female entreprereurs is worthy of emulation and it's in line with this year's theme for IWD. When I assumed office as Finance Minister, the DBN project had run aground. Alhaji Bukar ensured that my attention remained focused on it. Adaorah was my Special Adviser. Ijeoma blew us away at the interview. Tony Opara got the job, in spite of the fact that someone close to me was also an interviewee. The recruitment process for DBN was thorough! That's why the Bank remains solid till today...

We need to flip the script. We should stop fighting or appealing to be heard. We should start telling the stories of successful female entrepreneurs in various fields like the six young women we are celebrating today. I write for This Day Newspaper every Monday under the caption: 'This Day on Monday with Kemi Adeosun'. Money helps culture grow. We need DBN in each state plus the FCT. We should democratise wealth among women. Women are serious with money. Women have a history of paying back when they take loans. Women are 41% of SMEs and SMEs are 80% of the economy.

                                                                     Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa 

2nd from left Jacky Amprou (Country Director Agence Fracaise de Development - AFP); 3rd from left Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa & other participants

L-R: Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa & Mrs. Temitayo Oluyege (CEO May Couture/One of the six awardees that got N1m from DBN)

Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa: In my intervention, I made it abundantly clear that I attended the event because of Mrs. Kemi Adeosun. I said that at 68 years old and a retiree, I'm retired but not tired. I remain active as a viable Consultant in the fields of Gender, Conflict Transformation, Mediation, etc. What package does DBN have for active senior female citizens in business?

Fire Side Chat: Fatogbe, Awogbade & Osakwe highlighted their experiences as serial entrepreneurs. The bottom line: The female entrepreneur needs to be audacious and believe in herself even if no one else does. Mentorship is important. Women should stop being risk averse. Be your authentic self and have fearless ambition. You should know when to leave an organisation. Understand money and know how to invest.

It was an interesting time out with the six young female awardees who became instant millionaires. I urge you all to expend the money in the pursuit of excellence in your various enterprises.

 

  

ART IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

 The title of this article is the subject matter of a viable collaboration involving a number of stakeholders: Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Atrium Gallery), American Embassy - Abuja, Slick Studios & International Institute for Creative Development (IICD). The convening was the brainchild of the CEO of IICD and Slick Studios - Nduwhite Ahononu and Malik Afegbua, two young artistes making waves beyond Nigeria. They collaborated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the American Embassy. 

The star of the show was Dr. Omoju Miller, multiple award winning American citizen of Nigerian descent. Omoju was the Keynote Speaker and Lead Facilitator at the Workshop. The Opening Ceremony was held at Arts Centre, opposite Radio House (26 February 2026) while the Workshop proper was held at 3, Kachia Close, Area 3, Garki, Abuja (27th February - 3rd March 2026). I was a valued participant, but not a member of the inaugural Cohort unveiled at the opening ceremony...

                                              Dr. Omoju Miller (Keynote Speaker/Lead Facilitator)

Some of the other speakers at the Opening Ceremony were: Minister of Foreign Affairs (Represented by Temitope Atiba, SA to Minister of Foreign Affairs); Public Diplomacy Counselor, US Embassy in Abuja - Lee McManis and Mandate Secretary, Women Affairs Secretariat, FCTA - Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi.

Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (Minister of Foreign Affairs, represented by Temitope Atiba, SA on Policy & Special Duties): AI is often tied to the originality of expression. AI is not a replacement for creativity. We should democratise access to cultural exchange. We lay emphasis on AI proficiency in the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We have an AI Unit. AI is a viable catalyst for responsible advancement. In the Ministry, we use AI in tandem with the 4Ds foreign policy of Nigeria - Democracy, Development, Demography & Diaspora. Cultural diplomacy builds understanding beyond the negotiation table. The Atrium Gallery of the Ministry will make the product of this workshop available to the public. Technology should advance creativity rather than diminish it. Tech may accelerate our world, but wisdom must guide it...

Lee McManis (Public Diplomacy Counsellor, US Embassy, Abuja): I am delighted to welcome Omoju Miller to Nigeria. She is a US citizen and the US government sponsored her trip to Abuja. Omoju is one of the most promising technology and AI experts through time. AI is now used in national security, medicine, peace & conflict studies, etc. American AI Tech is the gold standard world wide. The US has at least $700b available for AI infrasructure in 2026 alone. In October 2025, there was Open AI at the University of Lagos where the US Embassy collaborated with Fate Foundation. The African Action Plan & AI Diplomacy/Security were formulated there. This conference is about opportunity - specifically how the US and Nigeria can use AI and indeed Robotics for good...

Dr. Omoju Miller (US based AI Expert/Computer Scientist/Google, Microsoft & AMALL Consultant/Keynote Speaker/Lead Facilitator): I am the Founder of FIMIO, berthed 3 years ago. It's time to tackle the twin evils of fraud and coordination problems in Web 3. And to do that, we have raised $2.195m with https://lnkd.in/eU-8Jehx, The House Fund, Redpoint Labs, Protocol Labs and some dream angels like Nat Friedman and Stephanie Shear...Read more here - https://lnkd.in/ep53hpu3 (Credit: Dr. Omoju Miller's LinkedIn page/profile)...

Permissionless systems change the world. Nigeria is quite advanced in the Open Source/Software Data arena. We invited all Open Source users to Lagos last year, and this eventually led to the acquisition of PayStack. Here's a short history of creative tools. The Printing Press produced books since 1440. Then came the Camera, leading to questions like: 'Is AI-generated art real art?'. Inspite of the camera, paintings didn't die.

For Digital Tools Synthesis, The Bronx descendants from Nigeria used anything and everything to create music. Beginning of Afrobeat and Reggae? Then came Desktop Publishing. AI is the current revolution. Is AI coming for my job as a Film-maker, Designer, Musician, etc? For Script Writers, for example, AI is useful for Voice Reading. Use ChatGPT, ChatCloud, etc. Load the backgroung of all your characters and let translators of how to use tools like Omoju Miller do the analysis. AI is your creative partner not your replacement. Note that Nigeria's creative space is exploding - The glamour of Met Gala was superseded by AMVCA.

AI enables Rapid Phototyping, Production Scaling and Style Exploration while removing drudgery. Just imagine if Wakanda was real, what would it have looked like? AI elicits Brainstorming Partners, Structural Editing, Research Acceleration, Adaptation Sonic Exploration, Sound Track, Post Production Power, Distribution and Reach. There's a germane intersection of technology with creativity. AI allows you to see further and faster. With AI doing much of the routine work, the artiste has free time to compose more and produce better! What changes when co-creation gets ten times faster? There's more iteration, more ambition and indeed, more time for your art.

Now to the difficult questions. The fears are real: Theft of style, Loss of meaning, Race to the bottom and Homogenisation. What about the irreplaceable human element? There are things AI cannot do like having taste, meaning something, knowing your audience, taking creative risks and feeling your work. Art is like a connection to the artiste's spirit/soul - know your audience. You should navigate AI responsibly and responsively. 

Some creative forms did not exist before AI - Interactive narratives: stories that adapt to each other; Generative art; Cross model creation and Hyper-sense. Before AI, we only had Ideation, Photocopying, Iteration, Production and Distribution. The myth of the born creative is not necessarily true. Creative mastery comes ffrom deliberate practice, exposure to diverse influences and the willingness to iterate. AI does not replace creative talent, it removes the friction. 

There were questions about copyright and originality in the use of AI. Omoju's response was that licensing would solve that problem. For example, creatives can license their products as: Open Source Software, MIT Licence, Creative Commerce Licence, etc

Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa (Participant, not member of Inaugural Cohort /Writer of this Blog Post/ Retiree/Gender & Conflict Transformation Consultant): There was an interlude when Dr. Omoju Miller and Lee McManis left and the compere asked for interventions rom the floor. I stated clearly why I was there: As a 68 year old retiree still actively engaged Consultancy, Training of Trainers, Public Speaking, Engaged as a Chartered Mediator, etc. I am paticularly interested in leveraging AI to enhance my output. Older persons still actively engaged in the creative space should be given their flowers by creating at least a small segment of this kind of engagement to address their concerns. I've learnt so much here today that I couldn't have been anywhere better. I hope future conferences on AI would take our needs into consideration...Please check out my earlier Blogpost titled 'Artificial Intelligence and Africa' via this link - dayokusa.blogspot.com/2018/08/artificial-intelligence-ai-africa.html

Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi (Mandate Secretary, Women Affairs Secretariat - FCTA): Before AI was HI (Human Intelligence) and EI (Emotional Intelligence). There's inter-model and inter-connectivity. 'Niger no dey carry last' (Nigerians are always at the fore-front, numero uno in many fields). We have many original stories like 'Tales by Moonlight', etc. But as Mandate Secretary, WAS-FCTA, I'm particularly interested in the Art of Feminity in AI. The Art of Feminity entails various aspects of the feminine form - themes of nature, nurturing, female elders as 'super models' on the catwalk. There's an intersection of the feminine AI and the feminity of AI.

Working with women as I do, is working with the community. Human input into AI makes the latter learn about our history, art, heart/soul and values. We should give women a bigger 'corset space'. If women are absent from rooms where AI is being discussed, something vital is missing. AI is not not just an evolving concept, it's a revolution in the making...

R-L: Nduwhite Ahononu (Co-Convener of Conference), Dr. Omoju Miller (Founder FIMIO Inc/Keynote Speaker/Lead Facilitator), Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi (Mandate Secretary WAS-FCTA), Dr. Taiye Jasper (PA to MS-WAS FCTA)

Ahmed Bashiru Sodangi (DG National Gallery of Art): Technology plays a role in shaping artistic legacy. Accelerated ideation via AI helps artistes overcome writer's block. AI is the future of mankind. STEAM - Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics says it all. The Arts are firmly embeded in there! AI has replaced stunts. Art is a moment captured in eternity. Mona Lisa took nine years to paint. AI has re-constructed it in probably a few minutes or seconds. AI actually restores torn canvass. 

AI has been described as the microwave industry. If the artiste can visualise it, AI can do the finishing, AI accelerates production and reduces cost. AI refines high-targeted, data-driven advertising platforms. AI and technological innovation must co-exist. Every creative must embrace creative technology, including AI...

Hon. Simi Fajemirokun (SSA to Minister of Foreign Affairs represented): Technology is changing how we work. AI is a powerful equaliser. AI prototype is indeed very fast. What happens to authroship when a machine can do most of the work? Traditional forms of art seem to be more visible in the age of AI - the artiste has more free time to 'perfect' his/her art because AI is available to do the repetitive part. The opportunity for us is collaboration. Politicians, cultural diplomats and indeed nations tell their stories and AI can aid them. Art has always evolved with technology, AI is just the next chapter...

Obi Asika (DG National Council for Arts & Culture - NCAC): I came along with Tobe and Bethia who are our Cultural Ambassadors at NCAC. There's an intersection of Art and Technology. We set up the Council for Creative Technology, which comprises eleven members. There's also the National AI Institute. Creative expression is limitless. AI is not just about tech, it's about civilisation. AI entails the re-telling and re-framing of our history. Remember that AI is not magic, it's artificial memory - garbage in, garbage out.

Our DNA as Nigerians is 98% the same. We need to bring more of our perspectives together via AI. For example, we are leveraging on 'Origins', 'Detty December' and 'Niger Season' for our Unity Campaign. We know for example, that Oredo (Edo state) is the final burial place of the Queen of Sheeba! We need to un-earth more of such 'facts'...

The Opening Ceremony and the hands-on Workshop for the Pioneer Cohort were quite engaging. We look forward to the next steps...