ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND EDUCATIONAL PLANNING IN NIGERIA: PROSPECTS, CHALLENGES, AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Educational planning is central to achieving efficiency, equity, and sustainability in national education systems. In Nigeria, persistent challenges such as poor data management, rapid population growth, inadequate resource allocation, and weak monitoring mechanisms have continued to limit effective educational planning. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) present new opportunities for addressing these challenges through data-driven decision-making, predictive analytics, and intelligent planning systems. This chapter examines the role of artificial intelligence in supporting educational planning in Nigeria, with particular emphasis on its applications in data management, enrolment forecasting, manpower planning, resource allocation, school mapping, and policy monitoring. The chapter also critically discusses the challenges associated with AI adoption, including infrastructural deficits, limited technical capacity, high implementation costs, ethical concerns, and institutional resistance to change. Furthermore, the policy implications of integrating AI into educational planning are explored, highlighting the need for supportive regulatory frameworks, capacity building, and sustainable investment. The chapter concludes that while artificial intelligence holds significant potential for transforming educational planning in Nigeria, its effectiveness depends on deliberate policy action, institutional readiness, and context-sensitive implementation strategies aimed at promoting inclusive and sustainable educational development.