A former Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank Plc, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, has dismissed fears that artificial intelligence (AI) would lead to widespread job losses in Nigeria’s civil service.
He said that the technology would instead strengthen governance and improve productivity for national development.
He said this at the International Civil Service Conference (ICSC) 2026 in Abuja on Wednesday.
The two-day ICSC 2026 conference with the theme, “Reforms, Resilience and Results”, was organised by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF).
According to him, the growing global attention on Nigeria’s civil service reform efforts reflects a renewed commitment to strengthening public institutions and restoring dignity to civil servants.
“All the halls are full, literally thousands of people here, many from outside Nigeria. The civil service in Nigeria is inviting the world to participate at a global level on civil service issues,” Aig-Imoukhuede said.
The Chairman of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, who, through his foundation, has continued to partner with the government on civil service reforms and training, noted that recognition and respect for public servants remain critical to driving reforms and improving service delivery.
He said, “The first thing you must do to change a human being is give that person dignity — dignity in who they are and what they do.”
Speaking on the impact of artificial intelligence on governance, the renowned banker argued that fears surrounding AI are often exaggerated and largely focused on the possibility of machines replacing workers.
He explained that while automation may take over repetitive and routine tasks, the core responsibilities of civil servants, such as policy formulation and implementation, remain deeply human and cannot easily be replaced by machines.
“Most of what the civil service does is not basic and not repetitive. Policy making and policy implementation will be very difficult for AI to perform, particularly in Africa where the challenges are unique, structural and practical,” Aig-Imoukhuede said.
He said that AI would serve more as a complementary tool capable of making workers more productive and efficient rather than replacing them.
“I don’t see the core role of the civil servant being affected. I think it is being strengthened by AI,” he added.
He, however, acknowledged that some routine government services would increasingly become automated, citing airport passport scanning systems as examples of technological advancements already reducing manual processes.
“Technology and automation will necessarily replace that type of activity, but it will free up Nigerian workers to do the things technology cannot do,” he said.
He noted that the true measure of governance is not the number of meetings held or hours worked by public officials, but the quality and efficiency of services delivered to citizens with positive impacts.
He said, “The true measure of whether government is working or not is whether a passport is issued on time, whether roads are completed on schedule, whether hospitals function, whether pensions are paid without distress, and whether businesses can be registered without bureaucracy.”
He also said citizens judge governments by results rather than intentions, emphasising the need for stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors to address Africa’s growing development challenges.
Aig-Imoukhuede described the civil service as “the engine room of the Nigerian state,” noting that while politicians set priorities, civil servants are responsible for translating national ambitions into administrative realities.
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