Veritas University, Abuja, has become the first university in Africa to formally adopt an ethical artificial intelligence (AI) governance framework, marking a significant step toward ensuring that emerging technologies are developed and used with human dignity, justice and the common good at their core.
The milestone was announced in a statement on Tuesday by the university’s Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications, Ben Agande.
According to the statement, the institution signed the Humanitas AI Compact, a cross-sector framework designed to guide the ethical development and deployment of artificial intelligence across education and other sectors.
The university explained that the decision is its institutional response to Magnifica Humanitas, a papal declaration by Pope Leo XIV, which calls on universities worldwide to take responsibility for the ethical governance of AI and ensure that technology remains centred on humanity.
The historic signing took place during the university’s 154th Senate meeting, where proceedings were briefly suspended to mark the occasion.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Hyacinth Ichoku, signed the compact on behalf of the university, describing the move as a direct response to the Pope’s appeal for academic institutions to lead conversations on the ethical future of artificial intelligence.
Other signatories included Professor Emeka Aniagolu of the Institute for African American Studies, Abuja; Elder Solomon Appiah-Wilson of the Commonwealth Forum, London; Dr. Sam Amadi of the Centre for AI, Digital Justice and Economic Rights; and Dr. Mehad Nasreldin of the African Institute of Public Health, Addis Ababa.
Speaking after signing the agreement, Ichoku said the Humanitas AI Compact was created to transform the Pope’s message into practical institutional action.
He stressed that AI should always serve humanity, particularly the poor, the sick, displaced persons, women, children and other vulnerable groups, rather than deepen inequality or exclusion.
The Vice-Chancellor added that universities must move beyond discussing ethical AI in theory by embedding those principles into teaching, research, governance and public service.
Under the Humanitas AI Compact, participating institutions commit to seven guiding principles, including protecting human dignity, promoting the common good, advancing truth and supporting the holistic development of every individual.
They also pledged to strengthen digital literacy, review academic programmes for the AI era, prioritise vulnerable communities in AI deployment, promote justice and peace in technology, expand international collaboration and contribute to global AI governance.
The framework further warns against allowing artificial intelligence to replace human moral judgment, insisting that decisions affecting human life and dignity must always remain under meaningful human oversight.
