Retrospective on Our Harmattan Seminar Program on AI Governance (March–April 2025)

Our inaugural seminar program on AI governance ran from March 10 to April 11, 2025, and was hosted in partnership with the Machine Intelligence Research Group (MIRG) at the University of Lagos.  The program was designed to empower and amplify the impact of African stakeholders in AI governance, with the inaugural cohort of Nigerian participants that included civil servants, advisors, academics, and civil society actors within the evolving global discourse on artificial intelligence (AI) governance.

The four-week blended-learning program included three weeks of virtual seminars and a two-day in-person workshop in Abuja. Its central mission was to promote inclusive AI governance that foregrounds equity and fairness while minimizing the risks of catastrophic harm.

This retrospective reflects on the successes and lessons learnt for continuous iterations and offers feedback for future aligned efforts.

Program Design and Objectives

The seminar aimed to:

• Increase participants’ understanding of AI risks and international AI governance.

• Equip participants to contribute actively and knowledgeably to local and global AI policy conversations.

• Foster long-term collaboration and coalition-building among Nigerian AI governance actors.

  
  

Participants engaged through weekly thematic readings, expert-led Q&As, group discussions, and guided exercises. Week 4 culminated in a hands-on workshop focused on applying learning, refining Nigeria’s AI Strategy, and connecting with the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR).

Application and Selection

• Application Period: January 27 – February 22, 2025

• Total Applications Received: 319

• Target Cohort: 15–20 participants

• Applicants were evaluated through a rigorous two-stage process emphasizing relevance, motivation, and potential impact. This helped us finalize a strong, diverse cohort of 15 people with representation from government, civil society, media, and academia.

Seminar Program Execution

Weeks 1–3: Online Seminars

• Weekly Sessions: Each Wednesday, 4–6 PM WAT (via Zoom)

• Themes:

  • Week 1: AI’s Potential, Risks, and Challenges

  • Week 2: AI Governance Frameworks & Africa’s Role

  • Week 3: Engaging in Global AI Governance Platforms

Guest speakers included:

• Week 1: Prof. Emma Ruttkamp-Bloem (AI Ethics, UNESCO) and Jakob Graabak and Sam Bogerd (Centre for Future Generations)

• Week 2: Chinasa Okolo (Fellow, Brookings Institution)

• Week 3: Konrad Seifert (Co-founder, Simon Institute)

  
  

Sessions featured thematic introductions, breakout discussions, guest contributions, and participant reflections. Weekly pre-session exercises and Notion-based reading libraries ensured participants came prepared.

Week 4: In-Person Workshop (Abuja)

• Dates: April 9–10, 2025

• Highlights:

  • Review of Nigeria’s Draft National AI Strategy

  • Participant group presentations and roadmap development

  • Networking and knowledge sharing between participants

  • A site visit and dialogue session with the National Director of NCAIR

Participants reflected on the practical challenges of operationalizing AI governance in Nigeria, offering tailored recommendations.

Feedback and Impact

Successes

• Likelihood of Recommendation: Avg. 10/10 of the participants expressed a strong likelihood of recommending the future iteration of the program to their network of similar interests. 

• Participant Confidence: 85.7% of the participants rated their understanding of AI risks and governance as “significantly improved.”

• Confidence in Understanding AI Risks and Benefits: Avg. 9/10

• Time Value of Program: Over 85% rated it “notably” or “much better” use of time than the alternative.

• Application of Learning:

  • Several participants began planning policy briefs, public articles, and internal training programs.

  • Others committed to engaging in national AI strategy consultations and joining regional or international AI policy groups.

• Content Quality: Guest sessions, breakout groups, and readings were consistently praised as valuable and holistic

• Cultural Cohesion: The cohort emphasized the respectful, inclusive atmosphere and the value of learning from diverse professional backgrounds.

Challenges

• Technical Access: A few participants experienced network glitches during some of the online sessions, limiting their full session access. We promptly integrated live transcripts and followed up with the session summary to ensure all participants are carried along. 

• Time Management: Week 1 felt rushed. In subsequent weeks, we optimized discussion questions to allow deeper exploration without feeling the abrupt cut of these sessions.

Lessons for Future Iterations

• Structured Release of Transcripts and Recordings: Post-session follow-up seems to be valuable, especially for participants who experience connection instability. We plan to continue supporting our future program participants by systematically sharing transcripts and session recordings after each weekly session. This will ensure accessibility and support deeper engagement with the material.

• Engagement push: Graded exercises encourage participants to engage more deeply with the content, especially if contingencies are attached to the performance. We will continue to integrate such activities further in future iterations, while using in-person workshops and certification loosely as contingencies.  

• Targeted Recruitment & Strategic Partnerships: A more focused outreach campaign may help increase the proportion of highly suitable applicants in future cohorts. At the same time, our partnerships with MIRG proved immensely invaluable—not only for recruitment but also for connecting the program with key national stakeholders such as NITDA and NCAIR.

• Session Fine-Tuning for Deeper Engagement: Adjustments such as shortening and simplifying some breakout discussion questions, allocating more time where needed, and encouraging participant engagement from the outset will help improve the quality of conversation. These refinements should continue to ensure inclusive, meaningful dialogue throughout the program.

Looking Ahead

In conclusion, our inaugural AI Governance Seminar Program successfully brought together a motivated, cross-sectoral group of Nigerian stakeholders and equipped them with the insights, tools, and connections to actively contribute to shaping inclusive AI governance. It provided a model for how African-led, locally grounded, globally engaged capacity-building efforts can meaningfully shape future technology governance debates.

We aim to continue building the capacity of African stakeholders for improved engagement and impact on AI governance and to support alumni as they: 

• Engage in national and regional AI policy consultations

• Launch AI-focused advocacy and research initiatives

• Contribute to global forums on technology governance

  
  

A huge shoutout to our participants, partners, facilitators, and guest experts. We look forward to building on this foundation in future iterations.