Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Religious Pedagogy in Nigeria: Legal and Policy Pathways for Churches with Implication for Post Covid Era

Adedeji Daniel Gbadebo

doi:10.18290/kip2025.4

Published : 2025-07-03

Vol. 14 No. 1 (2025)

Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Religious Pedagogy in Nigeria: Legal and Policy Pathways for Churches with Implication for Post Covid Era

Adedeji Daniel Gbadebo

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18290/kip2025.4

Abstract

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into religious education has emerged as a transformative trend in the post-Covid-19 era, particularly within technologically evolving societies such as Nigeria. This study examines the potential of AI to enhance the teaching of religion in Nigerian churches, while emphasizing the critical role of the government in establishing legal and ethical frameworks to govern its use. Drawing on a review of current literature (2020-2025), the research highlights both opportunities, such as personalized spiritual learning and expanded access to theological resources, and challenges, including doctrinal distortion, data privacy concerns, and technological inequities among faith communities. A qualitative, policy-oriented methodology is employed, supported by simulated data, to assess the readiness of religious institutions and the gaps in Nigeria’s regulatory infrastructure. The study finds that while many churches are adopting digital tools, there is a lack of legal guidance specific to AI in faith-based settings. It recommends the creation of a national AI ethical framework for religious applications, the formation of an AI-Ethics Advisory Council, and the promotion of AI literacy among church leaders. In conclusion, the paper argues that with strategic policy interventions and inclusive stakeholder dialogue, AI can be harnessed to support doctrinal fidelity, digital equity, and religious innovation in Nigeria’s rapidly evolving spiritual landscape.

Keywords:

artificial intelligence, religious education, Nigerian churches, AI ethics, post-COVID era, legal frameworks

Details

References

Statistics

Authors

Download files

pdf

Citation rules

Gbadebo, A. D. (2025). Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Religious Pedagogy in Nigeria: Legal and Policy Pathways for Churches with Implication for Post Covid Era. Kościół I Prawo, 14(1), 61–77. https://doi.org/10.18290/kip2025.4

Altmetric indicators

Cited by / Share

Licence

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

References

Adeyemi, Tunde, and Abiola Okunade. 2021. “Ethical regulation of emerging technologies in sub-Saharan Africa: A focus on artificial intelligence.” Journal of African Law and Policy 18, no. 2:45-63. https://doi.org/10.1017/jap.2021.014

Ajibade, Temitope, and Chinwe Uche. 2023. “Artificial intelligence in religious education: Opportunities and ethical challenges in Nigerian seminaries.” African Journal of Theology and Technology 5, no. 2:55-73.

Akinola, Rasheed. 2021. “Digital religion in Nigeria: An analysis of online worship practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Journal of African Media Studies 13, no. 3:403-18.

Akinola, Adewale T. and Funmilayo S. Balogun. 2021. “Religion and governance in Nigeria: Navigating policy, political patronage, and moral discourse.” Journal of African Political Studies 9, no. 2:115-32.

Akpan, Iniobong, and Tosin Oke. 2023. “Artificial intelligence, privacy, and faith: Rethinking digital policy for religious institutions in Nigeria.” Nigerian Journal of Cyber Law 12, no. 1:89-104.

Aleven, Vincent, Ido Roll, Bruce M. McLaren, et al. 2017. “Personalized learning with AI technologies: Accessibility and engagement.” International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education 27, no. 3:337-67.

Anwar, Sadia, and Ahmed Basit. 2022. “Artificial intelligence and the digital divide: Post-pandemic implications for faith communities.” AI and Society 37, no. 4:911-25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-022-01412-w

Ayoade, Josephine, and Chukwuemeka Umeh. 2022. “Decolonizing law and technology regulation in African plural societies.” African Journal of Legal Studies 14, no. 2: 230-49.

Cath, Christina. 2018. “Governing artificial intelligence: Ethical, legal and technical opportunities and challenges.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, 376 (2133), 20180080.

Chakravorti, Bhaskar, Rishabh Chaturvedi, and Michelle Barr. 2021. “Culturally responsive regulation of emerging technologies in Africa.” Technology in Society, 67, 101736

Chen, Xiaoqing, Yiming Zhang, and Min K. Lee. 2021. “Enhancing education with AI: A review of AI-powered intelligent tutoring systems and learning platforms.” Educational Technology & Society 24, no. 3:45-58.

Chukwuemeka, Timothy, and Adekunle Ogunleye. 2022. “Emerging technologies and regulatory challenges: Toward adaptive, inclusive, and anticipatory legal frameworks.” Journal of Technology and Society 15, no. 3:213-30.

Chung, Yong, and Hyun-Jin Lee. 2020. “Religion in the digital age: Exploring the integration of AI and theological education.” Journal of Religious Technology Studies 26, no. 3:102-21. https://doi.org/10.1002/rts.405

Eubanks, Virginia. 2017. Automating inequality: How high-tech tools profile, police, and punish the poor. St. Martin’s Press.

Floridi, Luciano, Josh Cowls, Monika Beltrametti, et al. 2018. “AI4People – An ethical framework for a good AI society: Opportunities, risks, principles, and recommendations.” Minds and Machines 28, no. 4:689-707.

Eze, Michael, and Adeola Olumide. 2022. “Faith and the algorithm: Exploring the ethical limits of artificial intelligence in Christian worship.” Theology and Society in Africa 7, no. 1:117-32.

Frey, Carl B., and Paul Ohm. 2021. “Governance and AI ethics: The regulatory state and digital moral futures.” Technology in Society 65, 101596. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.techsoc.2021.101596

Griffiths, John. 1986. “What Is Legal Pluralism?” Journal of Legal Pluralism and Unofficial Law 18:1-55.

Ibrahim, Mohammed, and Rachael Daramola. 2020. “The role of ICT in theological training in sub-Saharan Africa.” International Journal of Religious Studies 9, no. 2:89-104.

Ilesanmi, Olufunke. 2014. “Church governance and doctrinal diversity in Nigerian Christianity: Navigating regulation and tradition.” Journal of Religion in Africa 44, no. 1:55-75.

Luckin, Rose, Wayne Holmes, Mark Griffiths, et al. 2016. Intelligence unleashed: An argument for AI in education. Pearson Education.

Merry, Sally E. 1988. “Legal pluralism.” Law & Society Review 22, no. 5:869-96.

Nwankwo Chinedu E., Olufunke V. Adeyemi, and Ibrahim S. Musa. 2023. “AI governance and religious institutions: Policy frameworks for inclusive technological advancement.” International Journal of Technology and Society 18, no. 1:45-62.

Okafor, Chinedu, and Adebayo Ojo. 2021. “Religion and legal regulation in Africa: Navigating pluralism and constitutionalism.” African Human Rights Law Journal 21, no. 1:145-67.

Okonkwo, Chinedu, and Fatima Ibrahim. 2024. “Artificial intelligence in theology: Emerging applications and the future of religious education.” Journal of Religion and Technology 12, no. 1:34-52.

Olayiwola, Aminat. 2022. “From pulpits to pixels: The role of digital platforms in reshaping church communication post-COVID-19.” Lagos Journal of Media and Communication 9, no. 2:33-49.

Palm, Erik, and Sven O. Hansson. 2010. “Technological governance: Exploring frameworks for ethical and institutional oversight.” Ethics and Information Technology 12, no. 2:89-104.

Selwyn, Neil. 2019. Should robots replace teachers? AI and the future of education. Polity Press.

Siemens, George, Phil Long, and Dragan Gašević. 2013. “Learning analytics: Foundations and applications.” Educational Technology & Society 15, no. 3:1-10.

Twining, William. 2019. “Legal innovation and participatory governance in plural societies.” Journal of Legal Pluralism and Unofficial Law 51, no. 3:317-40.

Zawacki-Richter, Olaf, Victoria Marín, Melissa Bond, et al. 2019. “Systematic review of research on artificial intelligence applications in higher education – Where are the educators?” International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education 16, no. 1:1-27.