Abas stated this in Ibadan on Wednesday at a two-day AI training, organised by the state council in collaboration with the American Open University, Nigeria.
This as the training is entitled “Empowering Journalists with Artificial Intelligence for Ethical, Innovative and Future-ready Journalism”.
According to Abas, a digitally empowered journalist is not a threat to national development, but a strategic partner in nation-building.
He said that with AI competence, journalists could become media consultants, offering data analysis, content strategy and communication advisory services to governments, institutions and the private sectors.
He added that they could build media and technology startups, fact-checking platforms, local data hubs, investigative journalism labs, digital storytelling studios, and AI-assisted news platforms that serve niche audiences.
According to him, journalists can also function as policy advisors and public communication experts, supporting government agencies, legislators and development institutions with research-based insights, public engagement strategies and evidence-driven narratives.
Abas noted that the training was, in its truest sense, not for charity but capacity building.
“This vision aligns squarely with Nigeria’s Digital Economy Agenda, which prioritises digital skills, innovation, entrepreneurship, and human capital development as drivers of national growth.
“As the country pushes towards a knowledge-based economy, journalists must not be excluded from this transformation.
“During our campaign, we promised to move beyond symbolic leadership to policy-driven unionism, pledging to equip our members with skills that translate into relevance, sustainability, and dignity in a changing economy.
“This training of 120 journalists is a direct fulfilment of that promise; AI will not replace journalists, it will only replace journalists who refuse to learn,” he said.
Abas charged the participants to move from routine reporting to analytical and solution-oriented journalism.
He called on journalists to interrogate data, interpret policies and enlighten citizens in ways that strengthen democracy and accountability.
“To policymakers and stakeholders present, this initiative sends a strong message; investing in journalists is investing in transparency, stability and informed governance.
“A technologically competent press is not a luxury; it is a national necessity.
“Let us remember that journalism has survived every technological disruption because it adapts without surrendering its soul.
“Artificial Intelligence must amplify human judgment, not replace it; it must serve democracy, not undermine it,” Abas said.
In his remarks, the Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, described the emergence of AI as a good development.
He commended the new Oyo NUJ executives for organising the training in less than two months of assuming office.
Oyelade, however, said, like any other global innovation, AI comes with its own gamut of minuses, as it could be deployed by netizens or online users for alarming negative uses.
According to him, studies have shown that AI is indeed a quintessential part of journalism, as it is today and in the future.
“In Oyo State, the key factor behind the success of the Seyi Makinde-led administration is the religious deployment of science and data in governance.
“The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development is deploying digitisation of its land transactions, such that financial leakages have been blocked.
“Fraud has been brought to the barest minimum, and it has helped tremendously to increase the state’s IGR, reaching a phenomenal N103 billion in 2025.
“This figure alone represents more than the total IGR of the past two administrations in the state,” he said.
Oyelade implored journalists to seize the opportunity by using the benefits and knowledge provided at the two-day event for personal and corporate use.
Also, Dr. Seyi Akanbi, the acting Vice-Chancellor of American Open University, Nigeria, described AI as a solution, only in the hands of good people.
Akanbi identified misinformation, disinformation and propaganda as threats to journalism as a profession.
He, therefore, urged journalists to learn and deploy AI for content integrity, social responsibility, professional excellence, innovation and adaptation.
The VC advised them to partner with organisations such as Google to create a fact-checking platform for accuracy.
NAN
