The inaugural Abuja Festival of Literature and Ideas will place artificial intelligence, its growing impact and the need for safeguards at the centre of discussions when the event holds Oct. 9-10, 2026.
Book Buzz Foundation Director Lola Shoneyin said Nigerians need to start having serious conversations about how AI could affect critical sectors, including banking, businesses and personal security, while considering appropriate regulations and safeguards.
“We need to understand what kind of regulations need to be put in place,” Shoneyin said. “We need to have some kind of response and know where to even start should we find ourselves in certain situations.”
She said the rapid development of AI means its potential risks can no longer be treated as distant concerns, particularly as technology becomes increasingly integrated into everyday life.
Shoneyin's comments came while speaking about AFLI, a new literary and intellectual festival organised by the Book Buzz Foundation.
The two-day event will bring together writers, scholars, thinkers and cultural figures for discussions on literature, public life, technology and contemporary issues.
She said the festival was deliberately designed to go beyond conventional literary conversations and give audiences more time to engage with complex ideas.
“With AFLI, the events are slightly longer to provide more room for discussion and questions,” she said.
The festival will feature Nigerian literary and cultural figures including Abdulkareem Baba Aminu, Fatima Bala, Fatima Zahra Umar, Gloria Chinyere Okwu, Hadiza Isma El-Rufai, Joseph Ike, Khadija Yusra Sanusi, Nana Sule, Nkereuwem Albert, Richard Ali and Sanusi Ismaila.
International guests include Italian astrophysicist Prof. Roberto Trotta, Colombian diplomat Sergio Jaramillo and Zimbabwean scholar and writer Simukai Chigudu.
Shoneyin said the festival had been conceived as a platform where audiences could engage with accomplished thinkers on issues shaping their lives and the future.
She cited AI as one of the issues requiring greater public understanding, particularly its implications for critical infrastructure and financial systems.
“What would we do if something happened to the banking system in Nigeria?” she asked, arguing that such scenarios make it necessary to begin discussing preparedness, regulation and protection.
The inaugural Abuja Festival of Literature and Ideas will hold Oct. 9-10 in the Federal Capital Territory.
The event is organised by the Book Buzz Foundation, which promotes literacy, develops reading spaces and organises literary and cultural programmes.
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