A new report by Cambridge University Press & Assessment has urged Nigeria to place human skills, values, and knowledge at the core of its education system if it intends to truly prepare the next generation for the Artificial Intelligence (AI) era.
The report, titled “Humans at the Heart of Education,” reveals that while technology and digital skills are essential, they are not enough on their own.
With the dynamic nature of AI, the study warns that focusing solely on digital literacy could leave young Nigerians unprepared for a future where human judgement, empathy, creativity, and ethics will matter as much as technological proficiency.
According to Cambridge, “If AI can replace us, then we are not teaching the right things.” The report calls for a renewed focus on education that “builds the whole person”, nurturing knowledge, skills, and values that go beyond test scores and drive both personal growth and national progress.
It also recommends that education reforms should not be top-down. Instead, change must come through collaboration between governments, teachers, learners, employers, and communities. “To get to the heart of education challenges, listen to the people at the heart of education,” the report stressed.
Relevance to Nigeria’s Local Context
The report spotlights that Nigeria’s education must remain grounded in local culture, language, and identity. Evidence shows, it says, that students learn best when education reflects their immediate environment.
Cambridge commended Nigeria’s recent move to make History a compulsory subject from Primary 1 to JSS 3 and to include a Nigerian language among mandatory subjects in early grades.
This, it noted, will help children develop a clear sense of identity and an understanding of their place in the world. But with AI tools trained predominantly in English, 90% of the data from large language models, Cambridge cautioned that the superiority of English content could limit learners’ engagement and understanding in countries where only about 10% of the population speak English as a first language.
Teachers Must Stay Central, Not Replaceable
The report warned against using technology as a replacement for teachers, arguing that nations that do so risk creating a two-tier education system, where some children learn with teacher-guided digital tools, while others rely on automated platforms with little human interaction.
Instead, Nigeria is encouraged to “empower teachers with technology.” Properly used, technology can ease teachers’ workloads by automating routine tasks such as marking and lesson planning, while also providing better data for tailored instruction.
The Cambridge report cited a World Bank pilot in Edo State, Nigeria, where teachers used free generative AI tools to provide personalised coaching and education.
Acting as “orchestra conductors,” teachers led sessions, mentored students, and guided reflections. The outcome was surprising, students recorded almost two years of learning in just six weeks.
Teaching for the AI Age
Cambridge noted that while AI, big data, and cybersecurity are among the fastest-growing global job skills, Nigeria must teach beyond specific tools. Rather than short-term training, the report advocates for building lifelong digital competence, helping students think critically about how to use technology wisely.
It also advised policymakers to resist the temptation of letting technology drive knowledge acquisition, saying that “education should build skills and knowledge side by side” to develop citizens capable of using AI responsibly.
Furthermore, the report noted the need to strengthen teacher quality as much as teacher numbers. It acknowledged Nigeria’s recent move to realign the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) mandate to raise professional standards but added that teachers must be supported with continuous training and flexible curricula that allow them to adapt lessons to student needs.
‘Keep Humans at the Centre’ – Cambridge Official
Jane Mann, managing director of Partnerships for Education at Cambridge, said the future of education in Nigeria and beyond must balance AI and other technologies with human connection.
“AI is changing education, and the world students will graduate into, at a faster pace than any time in human history,” she said.
According to her, focusing on digital skills alone will not be enough to prepare Nigeria’s youth for what lies ahead.
“But teaching digital skills is just the start. Our report shows that for Nigeria’s next generation to thrive, we must also equip learners with the deeply human knowledge, skills, values and connections that are key to building resilient individuals, and in turn resilient economies and societies.”
Mann added that reforms must remain deeply connected to Nigeria’s realities.
“This includes ensuring education remains highly local to students’ context in Nigeria, and putting teachers and school leaders at the heart of education reforms. The pace of technology means we don’t know exactly what tomorrow’s world of work looks like for today’s students, but by keeping humans at the heart of education, we prepare Nigeria’s next generation for all eventualities.”
Cambridge University Press & Assessment, part of the University of Cambridge, is a global leader in assessment, education, and research. The organisation works closely with national education systems to promote high standards in learning and teaching worldwide.
