‘AI training must go beyond certificates, deliver workplace results’

Artificial intelligence. Photo: Jobaaj Learnings

The Academic and Grant Writing Enclave has urged institutions and policymakers to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool for sustainable development, financial inclusion and economic transformation, stressing the need for training programmes to produce measurable results rather than certificates.

The Programme Coordinator of AGE, Dr Wadzani Dauda Palnam, made the call during an ongoing international AI capacity-building programme involving professionals from 271 institutions across 13 countries.

Palnam said the initiative was designed to promote the practical application of AI in workplaces and ensure that participants translated the knowledge acquired into improved institutional performance.

Our correspondent, who monitored the virtual sessions in Jos, Plateau State, on Wednesday, reports that more than 4,000 professionals are participating in the programme, which commenced on November 7, 2026.

The programme features six virtual training sessions, followed by institutional implementation projects involving representatives of universities, organisations and government ministries.

Speaking during the programme, Palnam said the initiative was deliberately structured to move beyond theoretical training and the award of certificates.

“Our goal is to ensure that AI training translates into measurable institutional change, not merely individual certificates,” he said.

He explained that participants were expected to identify practical challenges in their workplaces, deploy AI tools to address them and subsequently transfer the skills acquired to between 30 and 50 colleagues in their respective institutions.

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According to him, the train-the-trainer approach would ensure that the benefits of AI training extended beyond individual participants to influence research, administration, service delivery and organisational productivity.

Palnam said the implementation phase would also provide an opportunity to evaluate how participating institutions had applied the knowledge and skills acquired during the training.

He noted that the initiative presented opportunities for governments, development agencies, technology companies and prospective investors to partner with institutions in promoting AI adoption and delivering measurable development outcomes.

Among the international experts leading the sessions are Professor Yuko Harayama, Secretary-General of the Global Partnership on AI Tokyo Expert Support Centre and Professor Emeritus at Tohoku University, Japan; Professor Catholijn M. Jonker of Delft University of Technology, Netherlands; and Professor Virginia Dignum, Director of the AI Policy Lab at Umeå University, Sweden.

Also participating is Professor Charles Okechukwu Esimone, Chairman of the AGE Board of Studies and former Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria.

Participants are expected to commence institutional implementation projects after the virtual training sessions, with the outcomes to be monitored and evaluated to determine the programme’s impact on workplace efficiency and productivity.