The Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), Dr Ndagi Alhassan, has warned that excessive reliance on artificial intelligence (AI) could undermine critical thinking and clinical judgement among nurses, insisting that technology must never replace the human compassion at the heart of patient care.
“Any algorithm can calculate, but it cannot care,” Alhassan declared while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 Undergraduate Nursing Research Challenge and Summit organised by the Golden Lamp Leadership Initiative Africa at the University of Ibadan.
Speaking on the theme “Minds and Machines: The New Frontier of Academic Research”, he urged nursing students to embrace technological innovation without compromising their professional judgement and ethical responsibilities.
He explained that although AI could analyse data, identify patterns and suggest interventions, it could not replace a nurse’s ability to recognise subtle changes in a patient’s condition and respond with sound clinical judgement and empathy.
Using the example of a nurse who notices a patient deteriorating despite normal monitor readings, Alhassan said human observation and prompt intervention could make the difference between life and death.
“Research begins when a nurse observes something and refuses to look away,” he said.
He warned that AI systems could generate fabricated academic references and misleading information, urging students to verify AI-generated content before using it in research. He also advocated locally relevant African research data to address biases in systems trained on information that might not reflect the continent’s healthcare realities.
On patient confidentiality, he cautioned nurses against uploading identifiable medical information to AI platforms without appropriate safeguards.
“When in doubt, do not upload,” he said, adding that the Council would not tolerate plagiarism, fabricated research findings or unethical use of AI.
Alhassan urged students to focus their research on practical healthcare problems, verify information, protect patient data, disclose AI use transparently and publish their findings.
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He also advocated intergenerational leadership, encouraging experienced professionals to create opportunities for younger nurses to contribute fresh ideas and technological expertise.
Recounting how a 31-day hospitalisation for burns in 1972 influenced his decision to pursue nursing, he reminded students that the profession is fundamentally about service and compassion.
“The frontier is open. It does not belong to the machines. It belongs to the minds that will lead them,” he said, urging the students to “carry the lamp forward.”
Also speaking, the founder and chief executive officer of Myqura, Abiola Ayilara, urged Nigerian nurses to develop healthcare technologies that address local challenges rather than remain passive users of imported solutions.
She said nurses’ close contact with patients positioned them to identify gaps in care and lead innovation, stressing that AI should support, not replace, clinical judgement and human compassion.
“Nurses should be the ones creating the solutions for patients,” she said, urging students to turn clinical challenges into research questions and develop solutions suited to African realities.
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