Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin Lagos — The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, says it will continue to support education as an essential building block for individuals to reach their full potential and for societies and economies to grow and flourish.
Speaking during a sensitisation rally at Stella Maris College, Port Harcourt, the NDDC Director of Education, Dr (Mrs.) Awele Chukwudifu, observed that rapid technological developments, especially in Artificial Intelligence, had made many more goals achievable.
She highlighted the relevance of the theme “AI and Education: Preserving Human Agency in a World of Automation,” noting that it inspires reflections on the power of education to equip individuals and communities to navigate, understand, and influence technological advancement.
At the St. Mary’s Model School, where the NDDC also sensitised students, Dr Chukwudifu said that as computer and AI-driven systems become more sophisticated, the boundaries between human intention and machine-driven action often blur, raising critical questions about how to preserve, redefine, and elevate human initiatives.
The Principal of Stella Maris College, Rev Fr. Magnus Anyanugo, thanked the NDDC for sensitising the students to the importance of education in a technology-driven world.
He cautioned that AI’s benefits come with some risks, noting that as AI-driven systems become more powerful, human intention and machine-driven impacts can easily misalign.
He commended the Commission for continuously extending development projects to the school, citing the installation of solar street lights as one such intervention.
Rev Fr. Anyanugo also recalled that the NDDC recently sponsored the finals of the New WW White Football Tournament, which the college hosted.
At St. Mary’s Model School, the Headmistress, Rev. Sister Chimezie Amarachi, said that even with AI’s advantages, steps must be taken to ensure that humanity retains control over development and governance, stating that Artificial Intelligence must never replace the essential human elements of learning.
She remarked that lasting peace in every society begins with education.
