By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
The Vice Chancellor of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Prof. Ibrahim Garba, has said that in the rapidly evolving landscape of tertiary education, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a game-changer, revolutionising how to teach, learn and innovate.
The VC made the assertion on Wednesday, during a one-day train-the-trainers workshop on the Distinction Application learning platforms for academic staff organised by the institution.
Represented by Dr. Dauda Bakum, the University’s Libertarian, the VC said that embracing the evolution positioned ATBU not as followers, but as pioneers, ensuring its graduates thrive in an AI-infused world while elevating the institution’s global standing.
According to him, “By training you, our trainers, as the vanguard of Distinction AI adoption, we multiply its impact across our faculties, igniting a culture of digital proficiency that will distinguish ATBU in technology and innovation.”
The VC stressed that, “To our participants, I charge you with enthusiasm and responsibility. Master these tools and lead the AI revolution in ATBU. Together, we will shape the future of tertiary education in Nigeria and beyond.”
Speaking earlier, Director, Information and Communication Technology, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, Malam Abdulkadir Danlami says Artificial Intelligence would not replace lecturers but strengthens their roles as facilitators of knowledge to learners.
According to him, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a future concept but already influencing how content is created, delivered, assessed, and improved.
In education, the Don added that AI supports personalised learning, intelligent feedback, improved course design, and better understanding of student engagement.
He stressed that, “As lecturers, we must therefore evolve beyond traditional teaching methods and embrace tools that enhance both teaching effectiveness and student learning outcomes.”
According to him, “Importantly, AI does not replace the lecturer; rather, it supports and strengthens our role as facilitators of knowledge and mentors to learners.”
“The Distinction App, which is the focus of this workshop, is a practical platform that aligns with these global trends,” he said.
While emphasising that the training was designed to make course creation easier, learning more engaging, and teaching more impactful, the Director added that the training is to build capacity of lecturers to embrace AI in their teachings and the way they interact with students.
He explained that the institution’s portal service provider developed the Application to give the lecturers AI tools that would help in generating notes, quizzes and interact with students both online and offline.
“There are 50 participants drawn from various faculties of the University as we can’t accommodate all of them at once but the training is going to be a continuous training so as to benefit all the academic staff,” said the Don.
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