ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND TEACHER EDUCATION IN NIGERIA IN THE 21ST CENTURY: A REVIEW OF TRANSFORMATIONS, CHALLENGES, AND FUTURE PATHWAYS

Abstract

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into teacher education has emerged as a critical frontier in Nigeria’s quest to modernise its educational system and achieve sustainable development goals. This review article synthesises current literature, policy documents, and implementation reports to examine the state of AI integration in Nigerian teacher education programmes in the 21st century. The review identifies significant opportunities, including enhanced lesson planning, personalised professional development, and improved pedagogical efficiency, alongside persistent challenges such as inadequate digital infrastructure, limited AI literacy among teacher educators, funding constraints, and the absence of comprehensive policy frameworks. Drawing on recent national initiatives including the Naija Teacher AI project targeting 1.5 million teachers, the EDAIL programme that has trained over 6,000 educators and the development of Nigeria’s Draft National Higher Education AI Framework the article argues that Nigeria is at a pivotal moment where strategic, context-sensitive implementation of AI could transform teacher preparation. The review concludes with recommendations for policy development, infrastructure investment, capacity building, and ethical governance to ensure that AI serves as an enabler of educational equity and quality rather than a driver of further marginalisation.