UI Women Society trains students on AI, digital safety

The University of Ibadan Women Society (UIWS) has held a sensitisation workshop for students from selected secondary schools in Ibadan, promoting digital safety, critical thinking and the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The programme, which held on Wednesday, 30th September 2026, had the theme, “Smart Digital Citizen: Staying Safe in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”.

Declaring the workshop open, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, described the initiative as an example of how the university could extend its intellectual resources beyond its gates to benefit the younger generation.

He noted that AI was already shaping everyday life, offering opportunities to solve complex problems while presenting risks such as misinformation, deepfakes, privacy breaches and cyberbullying. He urged students to approach digital technology with awareness, critical judgement, responsibility and resilience.

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Professor Adebowale also encouraged participants to become ambassadors of digital safety in their schools by sharing what they had learnt and promoting ethical, respectful and good online behaviour.

The UIWS President, Dr Yemisi Adebowale, represented by the wife of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Dr Temilola Olapegba, said the workshop sought to equip students to become informed and responsible users of technology.

“It is in our phones, our classrooms, our homes and our daily activities. This digital age offers us incredible opportunities for learning, creativity and connection,” she said.

She emphasised that these opportunities came with risks, making it essential for young people to understand how to navigate the digital environment safely.

In her speech, Dr Olapegba, wife of the Vice-Chancellor-designate, encouraged students to use digital technology and AI as valuable tools for learning, while maintaining independent thought and avoiding excessive dependence on them.

The keynote speaker, Professor Sherifat Aboaba, a Professor of Organic and Natural Product Chemistry and Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CE&I), University of Ibadan, warned students about the lasting consequences of their digital footprints.

She advised them to exercise caution when sharing personal information, explaining that deleting a post might not remove copies already saved or circulated by others. She urged participants to use AI to support their cognition rather than replace it.

The Guest lecturer, Dr Aderonke Sakpere of the Department of Computer Science, University of Ibadan, stressed the importance of ethical and responsible AI use. She encouraged students to question AI-generated answers and examine the methods, equations and explanations behind them instead of accepting every response as correct.

She advised the students on the need to use strong passwords that contain a combination of numbers, alphabets and other special characters.

The guest lecturer also emphasised the need to adopt two-factor authentication for their accounts so as to add an additional security layer to the accounts.

She suggested that online tools such as password managers could also be deployed to manage passwords for several accounts without compromising security by using one password for all personal accounts across various platforms.

She warned students to avoid accepting friend requests from people outside their connections without verifying the source, clicking gift promo links and other fake rewarding sites.

The Coordinator of the Organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), Ibadan Branch, Dr Bose Orimadegun, described the theme as timely.

She urged students to verify information, protect their privacy and retain responsibility for their own thinking and decisions when using digital tools.

The UIWS Secretary, Mrs Fadekemi Akinfe, described the workshop as an eye-opener for both students and other participants.

She highlighted the risks of reusing the same password across multiple accounts as one of the practical lessons shared during the sessions.

Participating schools included Abadina College UI, The Olives International School, Bodija Bishop Philips Academy, Maverick College, St Louis Grammar School, Mokola, Immanuel College, Hillcrest High School, Bodija, The International School UI and Methodist Grammar School, Bodija.

The programme also featured a Smart Digital Citizens Challenge, awards and recognition of speakers, lecturers and teachers.