The Plateau State Government has commenced training senior public officials on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) as part of efforts to improve digital governance, administrative efficiency and public service delivery.
The programme is designed to equip government executives with the knowledge and skills required to integrate AI tools into official duties while maintaining accountability, data protection and professional standards.
The training, themed Closing the AI Gap for Executive Excellence: Strengthening Leadership, Productivity and Accountability, brought together senior government officials, including the Secretary to the State Government, Samuel Jatau; Commissioner for Information, Joyce Ramnap; and Permanent Secretary, Policy and General Services, Gayi Timothy.
Jatau, who represented Governor Caleb Mutfwang, said understanding artificial intelligence had become increasingly important for governments seeking to digitise their operations and align public administration with global practices.
He described AI as a technology capable of improving productivity but warned that its misuse could create serious problems.
“AI is a double-edged sword which has the good side and the bad side, and that is the reason why we are here today, so that we can know which edge of the sword we should use,” Jatau said.
He urged public officials to understand how AI tools work, identify AI-generated documents and exercise caution when sharing official information with such platforms.
Although the technology could reduce workloads and improve the quality of government output, he said officials needed to recognise its limitations and potential risks.
Timothy said the programme was intended to bridge the gap between the opportunities presented by AI and the capacity of government institutions to deploy it effectively.
He explained that the technology could support administrative processes, data analysis, report preparation, planning and the monitoring of institutional performance.
However, he stressed that AI-assisted work must remain subject to human oversight and comply with data-protection requirements, ethical principles and professional standards.
“The success of this programme will ultimately be measured not merely by what we learn, but by how effectively we apply that knowledge to improve institutional performance and the quality of services delivered to our citizens,” Timothy said.
Ramnap said the adoption of AI could also improve government communication, particularly in gathering, processing and disseminating information across the state.
She expressed hope that the training would strengthen the ability of public officials to communicate government policies and activities more effectively.
“I am hoping that this training will be able to equip us better on how to gather data and also disseminate information,” she said.
The programme comes amid growing interest in the use of artificial intelligence across public institutions, where the technology is increasingly being explored for administrative support and information management.
For Plateau State, the challenge will be to translate the training into practical improvements in government operations while protecting sensitive information and ensuring that officials remain accountable for decisions made with the assistance of AI tools.
The emphasis on responsible use reflects concerns about inaccurate AI-generated content, the handling of confidential data and the need to preserve human judgment in public administration.
