Emotional AI Lab convenes AI scams policy workshop in Abuja

On 27 February 2026, the Emotional AI Lab held a multi-sector policy workshop in Abuja, Nigeria, on AI-enabled scams and how Nigeria and the UK might respond.

The workshop brought together representatives from:

  • the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

  • NITDA

  • the Federal Ministry of Justice’s Cybercrime Unit

  • the Nigeria Police Force’s National Cybercrime Centre

  • the Nigerian Bar Association

  • the National Data Protection Commission

  • the Nigerian Communications Commission

  • the Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria

  • the African Council for Communication Education

  • young techpreneurs

  • the University of Abuja

  • Bangor University

Discussion ranged from deepfakes, voice cloning and AI chatbots that can sustain emotionally convincing scams at scale, to legal and enforcement gaps, digital literacy, and the economic pressures that draw young people into scam economies. A clear message emerged: AI is amplifying long-standing scam cultures rather than creating them, and enforcement alone won’t break the cycle. Participants called for a joined-up response spanning law, education, platforms and, crucially, legitimate digital opportunities for Nigeria’s young, tech-skilled population.

The workshop is part of a UKRI-funded project led by Andy McStay with Vian Bakir and Chiemezie Ugochukwu of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, and Bangor. It was supported by interviews with UK regulators, Nigerian fintech founders and a tech investor. The findings will feed into a policy report later this spring.

Andrew McStay