Humanity Must Lead Technology, Says Oluremi Tinubu

The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has emphasized that as the world progresses steadily into the digital era, where innovations shape interactions and define ideas it is crucial to ensure that humanity, not technology, remains in the lead.

According to her spokesperson, Busola Kukoyi, Mrs. Tinubu made these remarks while addressing the Education Above All plenary session at the 12th World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) in Doha, Qatar.

Alluding to Qatar’s success in education, the First Lady, who shared the stage with her counterparts from Lebanon and Syria, stressed that no religion forbids girls from being educated.

She noted that the federal government is committed to providing every Nigerian child with the limitless opportunities education offers.

“Everything begins with education. We are doing all we can as a government to advance the education sector. We must collectively look at the bigger picture, knowing that Nigeria has a huge human capital resource, and that is what we thrive on. Our youth are recognized globally in arts, education, fashion, the movie industry, and agriculture. They are achieving tremendously,” she said.

She further highlighted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu views innovation and technology as the foundation of human capital development. “Nigeria, being an emerging economy, has benefited greatly from digital literacy. It allows us to reach more people faster. Of course, it also comes with challenges. Our young people are using it either positively or negatively. We believe in continuing to empower them so they can achieve even more,” she added.

The chairperson of Qatar Foundation and host of the summit, Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, underscored the need for education to transform lives and communities by connecting young people with new job opportunities.

Other speakers at the summit, which attracted over 150,000 participants from around the world, emphasized that humans should remain the central focus of technological and societal transformations. They stressed that human values and ethics must guide the use of artificial intelligence, warning that progress without ethical considerations would be meaningless.

The 12th World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) carried the theme Humanity.IO: Human Values at the Heart of Education.