Education experts have raised alarms over the detrimental effects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and social media misuse on students’ academic achievements in Nigeria.
Speaking to Journalists in Abuja on Thursday, they highlighted how these digital tools, despite their benefits, have contributed to declining educational standards.
Associate Professor Sadiq Mohammed from the Federal University of Technology, Minna, emphasized that social media platforms have fostered examination malpractice among students. “Many students go to magic centres to write their examinations. You see a lot of them leaving the city centres to villages where pre-answered scripts will be passed around in exam halls,” he said. Mohammed noted that while students enter universities with impressive results, they struggle to perform academically later on.
He further warned that AI has made students complacent, spending excessive time on their phones using applications to cheat during exams. “With the coming of AI, most students now relax, they spend more time on their phones, using different applications to write examination,” he said. Mohammed called on the government to strengthen measures to safeguard academic integrity, including scrutinizing research papers to combat plagiarism.
Retired principal Judy Eke also condemned parents who finance exam fraud through social media. “Parents too are helping to spoil the children by giving them money to go and register for examinations in faraway villages,” she said, adding that such practices erode the value of hard work.
Teacher Adebayo Olawole acknowledged social media’s role in providing access to information but warned it also distracts students and promotes cybercrime. “Students spend up to four hours online yet struggle to commit 30 minutes to their books,” he said, urging authorities to regulate social media and encourage traditional study methods.
The experts collectively urge urgent government intervention to restore discipline and integrity in Nigeria’s education system amid rising concerns over technology misuse.
