By Mercy Aikoye
A member of the House of Representatives, Kolawole Akinlayo (APC, Ekiti North II), has cautioned students against excessive dependence on artificial intelligence, urging them to use digital tools responsibly to preserve academic excellence and critical thinking.
Akinlayo gave the warning in Abuja while receiving the 2026 Excellence in Leadership, Service and Community Impact Award from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
The lawmaker said while artificial intelligence and other digital tools offer significant advantages, students must not allow technology to replace independent thinking.
“AI should be used in a positive way and not in the negative way,” he said.
“Do not allow computers to think for you; you should be able to think for yourself.”
He expressed concern that misuse of AI is gradually undermining scholarship, with many students relying on online tools for answers to tests, assignments, and academic tasks rather than engaging in genuine learning.
Reflecting on past learning habits, Akinlayo noted that earlier generations excelled through discipline, classroom attendance, note-taking, and personal study.
“In the past, you had to attend lectures, get your notebooks, take notes, keep them, and read, yet people still excelled,” he said.
According to him, the availability of modern tools should ordinarily produce more outstanding students, but misuse has instead contributed to declining academic standards.
“With modern tools now, people should turn out more outstanding, but that is not the case,” he stated.
“It is designed to get greater results with less work, but people are using it the wrong way.”
Akinlayo also linked rising cases of tech-enabled fraud among young people to poor parental upbringing and weak moral foundations.
“There are students in school who use their computers for fraud; that reflects a lack of proper home training,” he said.
“We must revive effective parental training, ensure reward and consequences for actions, and then we will get better results.”
Earlier, NANS President, Olusola Oladoja, presented the award to the lawmaker, describing him as a strong advocate for youth development and student welfare.
Oladoja said an independent assessment of lawmakers’ performance on youth-focused initiatives ranked Akinlayo highly for his contributions to student support programmes.
“Your dedication to advancing the common good continues to inspire hope,” he said.
Highlighting his interventions in education, Akinlayo said he is the first federal lawmaker from Ekiti to award bursaries alongside N100,000 grants to students with a minimum CGPA of 3.5.
Oladoja also commended the lawmaker’s role in the development of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), describing it as a landmark intervention for students.
“Nigerian students have not had it this good since 1999,” he said.
Responding, Akinlayo thanked NANS for the recognition and pledged continued support for policies and programmes aimed at improving student welfare and national development.
He said the award would further motivate him to intensify efforts toward making Nigeria better.
“With more of Akinlayo at the helm of affairs, Nigeria will get it right sooner rather than later,” Oladoja added.
