Award-winning researcher and distinguished lecturer at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Dr. Oluwakemi Olurinola, has underscored the significance of teachers in the successful integration of Artificial Intelligence in Nigerian schools. The don, who described AI as a catalyst for deeper learning, posited that teachers remain central to innovation and lifelong learning within educational system.
She made the submission on Monday, 8th September, 2025 while presenting her report on the recently concluded Educators’ Artificial Intelligence Literacy (EDAIL) Project to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ayodeji Agboola. The project, which was sponsored by Google Research, was aimed at training and developing the capacity of secondary school teachers in low and middle income countries on AI integration in classrooms.
“When used intentionally, AI becomes more than a tool—it becomes a gateway to curiosity, innovation, and lifelong learning,” Dr. Olurinola, who is one of the joint winners of Google Academic Research Awards (GARA) for 2024, declared.
“Teachers remain central to this transformation, guiding students in critical engagement, ethical reflection, and purposeful exploration. The future of education is not AI or humans—it’s AI with humans,” the EDAIL Project Lead added.
Dr. Olurinola, who is a lecturer at the Department of Science and Technology Education in OOU, evaluated the current level of AI awareness and pedagogical skills among secondary school teachers and expressed concern that majority of respondents lacked formal training in artificial intelligence.
She recalled that, in September 2024, shewas selected to receive a Google Academic Research Award for her proposal entitled,“AI in Pedagogy: Developing Literacy and Integration Guides (EDAIL) for Teachers in LMICs.” The Principal Investigator of the grant-winning research project said some of its research goals were to assess the current level of AI awareness and pedagogical skills among secondary school teachers; develop and implement a tailored AI training programme as well as co-design the Educators’ Artificial Intelligence Literacy (EDAIL) guide and framework.
Sharing the key findings from her research, Dr. Olurinola disclosed that 93.5% of respondents were aware or familiar with AI concepts while 6.5% were unaware of the technology. She further revealed that 25.3% of the respondent’s had received formal AI training while 74.7% of the respondents claimed no formal training.
The researcher also said 42.9% of teachers use AI in teaching while 57.1% of the teachers were not using it. However, 56.7% of the respondents reported that they faced difficulties with AI integration. Her research further showed that 12.4% teachers were confident in AI contentcreation while 52% struggle with AI content generation. She, however, stated that 95.6% show strong desire to contextualise artificial intelligence content. Dr. Olurinola also reflected on the AI in Pedagogy Training for 6000 secondary school teachers in the six geopolitical regions of Nigeria which was flagged off in February 2025 in collaboration with the National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC). She said the main goal of the training was to empower educators with essential knowledge and skills for effective AI integration, adding that it focused on improving teaching strategies using AI tools to create a more engaging learning environment.
“Another objective of the training is to leverage technology to boost student learning outcomes and academic performance,” she pointed out.
The researcher explained that participants in the training gained insight into a range of AI technologies and their applications in education, adding that knowledge of AI tools enables participants to choose those that best fit their teaching objectives and enhance student learning experiences. “AI technologies can be applied in various educational settings to improve teaching methods and learning outcomes for students. From the feedback we got, participants highlighted how the training programme has positively influenced their teaching methods and classroom engagement,” she said.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor praised the researcher’s work, stating that it demonstrated the University’s commitment to producing high-quality research that addresses real-world problems. He also emphasised the importance of Artificial Intelligence in driving innovation and solving complex challenges facing society, adding that Dr. Olurinola’s project would serve as a model forfuture research initiatives in the field. Prof. Agboola noted that OOU, as a leading tertiary institution in Nigeria, will remain committed to supporting research initiatives that explore the potential of AI. He encouraged the researcher to continue exploring ways to apply the technology towards addressingpressing issues in the country.
The Vice-Chancellor, who said the University Community was proud of the researcher and her team, expressed hope that the experiences and knowledge gained in the training will enable the participants to drive positive change in their respective fields.