Plateau Govt Moves To Close AI Gap, Trains Executives For Digital Governance

The Plateau State Government has called on public sector executives to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve productivity, strengthen accountability and enhance service delivery, as it steps up efforts to align governance with global digital trends.

The call was made at a training programme themed “Closing the AI Gap for Executive Excellence: Strengthening Leadership, Productivity and Accountability,” organised by the state government to equip officials with the knowledge and skills to apply AI responsibly in public administration.

The training brought together the Secretary to the State Government, Arch. Samuel Jatau; Commissioner for Information, Joyce Ramnap; Permanent Secretary, Policy and General Services, Gayi Timothy; and other government officials.

Speaking at the programme, Jatau, who represented Governor Caleb Mutfwang, said understanding Artificial Intelligence had become essential for a government seeking to digitise its operations and align its policies with global best practices.

He described AI as a double-edged sword that could improve efficiency when properly used but also pose risks if applied irresponsibly.

“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,” he said.

The Secretary to the State Government urged public officials to understand how to use AI tools, identify AI-generated documents and exercise caution when sharing official information with such platforms.

He noted that AI could reduce workloads and improve the quality of official output, but stressed the need for government employees to understand its limitations and potential risks.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Policy and General Services, Gayi Timothy, said the training was designed to bridge the gap between the opportunities offered by AI and the capacity of government institutions to deploy the technology effectively.

According to him, AI could help public servants streamline administrative processes, analyse data, prepare reports, improve planning and monitor institutional performance.

He, however, emphasised that the technology must be deployed with human oversight, data protection and adherence to ethical 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.

The Commissioner for Information, Joyce Ramnap, said adopting AI was particularly important for government communication, noting that the technology could strengthen the gathering and dissemination of information across Plateau State.

“We must key into this if we must work as employees of government and chief executive officers. I’m hoping that this training will be able to equip us better on how to gather data and also disseminate information,” she said.

Ramnap urged participants to take advantage of the training to improve how government information is collected, processed, and communicated to the public.

The programme is expected to encourage responsible adoption of emerging technologies across government institutions, with the broader goal of building a more efficient, accountable and citizen-focused public service in Plateau State.