AI becomes Nigerian students’ go-to academic companion

Joy Agwunobi

A handful of Nigerian students can still remember the days when searching for information meant flipping through pages of bulky textbooks or spending hours in libraries.

But today, with just a few keystrokes, they can generate detailed explanations, summarise lengthy documents, and even refine their writing through Artificial Intelligence (AI).

While some professionals across various fields are still scared with concerns about whether artificial intelligence will replace their jobs, students in Nigeria are increasingly turning to it as an essential academic tool, changing the way they learn, research, and complete assignments.

Several  reports indicate a significant rise in AI adoption among students, particularly in higher education, where generative AI tools like ChatGPT have become essential for academic support. However, while these tools provide convenience and efficiency, concerns linger about their potential misuse and the ethical questions surrounding academic integrity.

According to the 2024 Global AI Student Survey conducted by the Digital Education Council, an alliance of universities and industry leaders focused on educational innovation—AI usage among students has become widespread. The survey, which gathered 3,839 responses from bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students across 16 countries, revealed that  86 per cent  of students use AI in their studies.

The report highlighted that ChatGPT remains the most commonly used AI tool, with 66 percent of students relying on it for academic support. Grammarly and Microsoft Copilot also ranked among the top AI-powered tools, each cited by 25 percent of respondents.

According to the survey: 69 per cent of students use AI to search for information;42 per cent rely on AI for grammar checks; 33 per cent use AI to summarise documents; 28 per cent use AI for paraphrasing content while 24 per cent generate first drafts with AI assistance.

Similarly, a UNESCO report noted that while ChatGPT had already reached 100 million monthly users by early 2023, only one country had established regulations on generative AI by July of that year. However, in  December 2024, ChatGPT’s user base had expanded dramatically, with over 300 million people engaging with the chatbot weekly and 1 billion messages exchanged globally each day.

Students have expressed that artificial intelligence (AI) has enhanced their academic experience by making study materials more accessible and understandable, as well as assisting them in scaling through academic tasks.

Chibundu Onuimo, a 400-level Political Science student at Imo State University, shared how AI has significantly contributed to her learning by simplifying complex concepts and aiding her assignments.

“In terms of using AI tools for my assignments and other projects, it has had a positive influence. I don’t experience any negative effects on my studies, especially when using ChatGPT,” she explained.

She noted that AI provides broader and more detailed explanations than textbooks. “My textbooks don’t really give me the actual or explanatory aspect of a topic, but ChatGPT gives me more information on what I was taught or the assignment I was given,” she said.

Recalling a particular assignment, she stated, “We were asked to write about the benefits of the World Trade Organisation and how world trade has influenced tariffs and excise duties; I used ChatGPT to get a better understanding. However,  I don’t use AI for tests or exams, but for my personal study and assignments, it helps me comprehend what I am taught.”

Emenike further highlighted her approach to research: “AI does not  have a negative impact on me because I know how and when to use it. When I want to conduct research, I consult my textbooks, Google, and AI. That way, I already have broad knowledge of the subject matter. However,  AI is even better than some search engines that are complicated and difficult to navigate. Whenever I use AI, it provides examples and descriptions, but that does not  mean I totally rely on it.”

Similarly, Chidera Asugha, who recently completed his master’s degree in Sociology from the University of Lagos, explained his experience with AI in academic work.

“During my undergraduate days, AI tools were not as popular as they are now, so I really didn’t make use of them except for Grammarly. However, for my second degree, I was able to leverage AI tools, although I was cautious because everything that has advantages also has disadvantages,” Asugha stated.

He further detailed how AI helped with assignments and compliance with academic requirements: “Many of our assignments in my master’s programme involved presentations, plagiarism checks, and word count limits. Sometimes, lecturers would give us assignments of not more than 5,000 or 8,000 words. To ensure compliance, we used AI tools to verify the word count and plagiarism percentage before submission. There is software to check that,” Asugha explained

“For a master’s thesis, plagiarism must not exceed 7 per cent  or 8 per cent, So, before our lecturers run their plagiarism checks, we would first test our assignments or thesis ourselves to ensure compliance. If the plagiarism percentage was below 7 per cent , for instance, we knew the work was ready for submission. That was how I made use of AI,” he added.

Asugha also noted how AI assisted in selecting his thesis topic. ” Then, my lecturer asked us to submit five social problems we intended to research, from which we could coin our project topics. I used ChatGPT and Google to identify social problems related to sociology in education. AI helped me generate more than five relevant social problems within the Nigerian context and school system, making my work faster and more efficient.”

He further emphasised the role of AI in refining his writing and formatting references. “ChatGPT also did a lot for me. It helped me rephrase my sentences and make them more engaging. I used it to format my references properly. Normally, we were required to use APA 7th edition for arranging our references. ChatGPT helped with that. I would simply copy and paste my references in any format, and the AI tool would arrange them correctly according to the APA 7th edition referencing style.”

However, Asugha cautioned against over-reliance on AI. “But then using AI doesn’t mean your brain should stop working. The way I used it involved giving a prompt so that the AI can give a suitable answer and that required me putting my brain at work. In all, AI made my work more efficient.”

Despite the benefits, there are growing concerns among educators about AI’s impact on academic integrity. Some lecturers worry that students may become overly dependent on AI, leading to a decline in critical thinking and independent research skills.

Daramola Oreoluwapo, a senior lecturer in the Department of Human Physiology at Redeemer’s University, Ede, acknowledged that while these tools have been beneficial to students, they also present challenges.

“A major disadvantage of AI is that it has reduced the time students spend on critical thinking. Some students now struggle with developing strong arguments for research topics because they rely entirely on AI-generated content,” she noted.

Oreoluwapo further noted that some lazy  students, particularly those who do not attend classes regularly, tend to use all the information provided by these digital tools without paying attention to the key details emphasised by their lecturers.

According to her, this often leads to off-mark responses in assignments, as students fail to align their work with the marking guide, despite submitting lengthy write-ups. However, she pointed out that if they took the time to critically think through the questions, they could arrive at more precise answers using these tools effectively.

“Students no longer have to search textbooks for assignments; instead, they turn to AI for quick answers. AI makes work faster and reduces the time spent on idea conception, as it helps shape thoughts into structured academic work,” she explained.

On the positive side, Oreoluwapo noted that these technologies assist students in refining their work to meet academic standards.

“Smart students have learned to use these tools to modify grammar and restructure their ideas while retaining the context of their arguments, helping them navigate plagiarism checks more effectively,” she said.

She also highlighted that such tools support lecturers by providing well-structured information for lesson preparation. “They help simplify complex topics with clear explanations and illustrations, making it easier for lecturers to convey knowledge in a way that students can readily grasp.”

Additionally, she pointed out that rather than relying solely on outdated textbook information, digital tools provide access to the latest insights, giving students an advantage in discussions with their peers from other institutions.

However, Oreoluwapo further reiterated that one of the biggest downsides is the diminishing emphasis on deep thinking. “These tools have eliminated the expenditure of quality time on critical thinking like a philosopher, and so, students may find the development of justification for a research topic a bit twisted because they can’t think through.”