Stakeholders at a webinar titled “AI Accountability and Citizens: Understanding AI Through Real-Life Whistleblowing Stories”, agreed that Artificial Intelligence can play a significant role in promoting transparency and civic accountability, provided it is used responsibly.
The session held on 13th August, 2026 brought together experts and citizens to discuss the intersection of AI, data, and whistleblowing, with a focus on how technology can empower citizens while mitigating risks such as misinformation.
Speaking during the webinar, Prof. Tajudeen H. Sikiru, Professor of Systems Engineering, ABU Zaria, and Founder of RANA Technologies & UEIR Quantum Lab, described AI as a library built on logic, noting its capacity to collect, categorize, and identify patterns in information to make research easier. He, however, cautioned that whistleblowing comes with great responsibility. Citizens, he said, must be deliberate about the information they feed into AI systems.
Stella Uzochukwu-Dennis, Technovation Regional Ambassador, Girls-in-Tech Advocate and Founder of Odyssey Educational Foundation emphasized the continued importance of human judgment. While acknowledging that AI has made many tasks easier, she warned that users should not accept AI-generated responses without verification.
Crispin Oduobuk, Senior Program Officer, (Policy and Advocacy), AFRICMIL, highlighted AI’s potential to support civic accountability. He noted that AI has made large volumes of data more accessible, enabling citizens to analyze government performance and track accountability. He also pointed out that AI can identify patterns in datasets to support informed decision-making, but stressed that humans still have to make the decision to use AI the right way.
Addressing the challenge of AI hallucinations, Stanley Olaleke, Project Lead of the AI, Accountability, and Citizens Project, and Founder of Mexibog Innovation Hub explained that incorrect information fed into AI systems can lead to misleading outputs. To curb this, he advised users to prompt AI systems to tell the answer only if it is sure of it.
The organizers noted that the discussions provided a timely framework for understanding AI not just as a technological tool, but as a civic instrument. As AI adoption increases in Nigeria and globally, accountability must be built into both the design of AI systems and how citizens use them.
