ISACA advocates stronger AI governance, regulation

The Information Systems Audit and Control Association, Lagos Chapter, has called for stronger governance, regulation and ethical oversight of artificial intelligence systems in Nigeria, warning that the rapid growth of emerging technologies requires deliberate policy action to safeguard the country’s digital ecosystem.

A statement released on Sunday said the call was made during its annual Governance, Risk and Compliance conference held at the VCP Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, with the theme “AI Governance: Advancing Regulations, Ethics and Risk Resilience in Africa’s Digital Economy”.

The two-day conference, held on 20–21 November 2025, brought together thought leaders from governance, cybersecurity, policymaking, academia, finance, law and technology.

Speaking during the policy dialogue, President of the ISACA Lagos Chapter, Justus Osuji, said the increasing integration of AI into critical decision-making systems demands more expertise in policy formulation and enforcement. He urged stakeholders to work collectively to address current and emerging risks.

“The work of AI governance is not easy. It requires courage, clarity and commitment. But it is work worth doing because it shapes the future of our societies, our economies and our democracies,” Osuji said.

He emphasised that AI governance must be anticipatory, not reactive, and grounded in transparency, accountability and ethics.

He warned that AI systems are not neutral, reflecting the data on which they are trained and the assumptions built into their algorithms. Africa, he said, must develop frameworks rooted in local realities while protecting citizens’ rights, data sovereignty and equity.

Osuji added that ethical considerations should be embedded at every stage of AI development, deployment and oversight.

Industry leaders including Wale Oyedeji of First Holdco and Wole Adeniyi of Stanbic IBTC delivered keynote addresses. Cybersecurity experts Dr Harrison Nnaji and Abumere Igboa discussed how financial institutions are preparing for AI risks. The session was moderated by Dr Bode Oguntoke.