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...
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 oten 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 profeciency 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 o 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...
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...
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