By Hadiza Isyaku Abdulsalam
Former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, has identified poor community service and mentorship among Northern elites as a major obstacle to youth development in the region.
Pantami made this statement while serving as Chairman of the 33rd Annual General Meeting of Zaria Education Development Association (ZEDA), in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he delivered a public lecture on “Artificial Intelligence in Education: Opportunities, Challenges, and Ethical Implications in the Nigerian Education System.”
He expressed concern that many wealthy Northern leaders and elites lack interest in mentoring youths, fearing they may surpass their status in society, which hinders the region’s socioeconomic development.
He called on Northern traditional and religious leaders, wealthy individuals, and elites to mobilize and incorporate community service and mentorship into their developmental agendas, as exemplified by ZEDA’s model.
The Zaria Education Development Association (ZEDA) is a prominent organization that has been actively promoting education development in the region for over three decades.
Earlier, Pantami highlighted the benefits and drawbacks of AI in education and its potential impact on the job market and emphasized that it can take over jobs from those who fail to master its application in the 21st century.