Category Blogs/Stories

By Matin Animashaun, Oluchukwu Nwabuikwu

Lagos, Nigeria’s bustling economic hub and second most populous state, faces a mountain of a problem—literally. The city’s waste management system is struggling to keep pace with its rapidly growing population, which expands by about 1.2 million people per year as highlighted by the United Nations’ Environment Programme.

While the state government’s official figures suggest Lagos generates between 13,000 to 14,000 tonnes of waste daily (nearly 5 million tonnes a year), a 2025 analysis by two environmental experts revealed that only one third of this is collected by the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA). This is part of a larger national challenge, as Nigeria collects less than 20% of the 32 million tonnes of annual solid waste it generates, significantly lower than the World Bank’s estimated average waste collection rate in sub Saharan Africa of about 44%. Experts also expect countries like Nigeria to generate three times more waste by 2050.

The city’s waste challenge is compounded by two major issues. First, the problem of inaccurate data. The government acknowledged in 2018 that the amount of waste generated far exceeded the official figure of 13,000 tonnes per day, and this lack of clear data makes effective management difficult. Second, the issue of poor waste hierarchy. According to a 2022 research article by Kehinde Allen-Taylor, Lagos skips critical steps in the waste hierarchy like prevention and recycling and proceeds straight to disposal. This systemic inefficiency has led to a massive informal waste economy taking over where official services fail.

Waste hierarchy by the European Commission’s Waste Framework Directive

LAWMA and its private service providers (PSPs) have attempted solutions. In February 2022, the state launched the “Adopt A Bin” programme to enhance waste management. This initiative saw 40,000 standard waste bins (green for general, blue for recyclables) delivered to homes and businesses to promote sorting at the source. However, the bins were too expensive for many, and a major issue persists: PSPs are known to ignore low-income areas because these communities are less profitable, leading to “black spots” of uncollected waste.

The Blockchain Solution

Nigeria’s launch of the Nigerian Circular Economy Program (NCEP) in 2024 has led stakeholders to consider blockchain technology. While often associated with cryptocurrencies, a blockchain’s core function as a distributed, immutable ledger offers a powerful solution to Lagos’s problems. First, it offers accountability. All waste collection activities, including those by LAWMA officials and the 364 PSPs, will be recorded on a decentralised database, which will stop private service providers from altering their data and keep them accountable for collecting waste in low-income areas. Second, it can provide accurate data. Its real-time tracking, similar to what the Berlin-based environmental technology company Cleanhub uses, could provide precise, auditable statistics on the volume and condition of waste collected. According to one report, Cleanhub has collected over 21 million kilograms of plastic waste as of October 2025. In Lagos, local companies like Motex Africa are already exploring this technology.

Challenges to Viability

The success of blockchain is conditional on addressing several major hurdles. Cost and scalability are significant concerns. Integrating this technology is very expensive, which is a major factor as Lagos State struggles to meet its internally generated revenue target for 2025. Furthermore, scaling a blockchain network to a city of over 20 million people can be technologically challenging and slow. Regulatory gaps are also a problem, as there are currently no local laws to compel stakeholders like PSPs to fully comply with blockchain-based reporting. Finally, data privacy conflicts pose a threat. Blockchain’s immutability clashes with Nigeria’s data protection laws, specifically the consumer’s “right to erasure”, as residents may not want their waste data permanently recorded on a publicly accessible database.

Ultimately, strong political will, adequate funding, public education, and regulatory frameworks are key. Most importantly, any system must integrate the informal waste workers who sustain much of Lagos’s recycling economy. If Lagos can address these prerequisites, the transparency and real-time tracking of blockchain could transform the state’s waste management system.

London, United Kingdom — Legal professionals from several countries recently came together for a specialised training designed to help lawyers better understand the risks and responsibilities that come with using artificial intelligence in legal practice.

The two-day online programme, “Interrogating AI in Legal Practice: Security, Privacy, and Accountability for Legal Professionals,” took place on March 3–4, 2026. It was organised by JournoTECH with funding support from SPRITE+, a consortium of five UK universities led by the University of Manchester.

Thirty-four legal professionals were selected to take part in the training. They came from different backgrounds and levels of experience, including lawyers with more than 20 years in practice as well as mid-career practitioners. The participants included senior advocates, human rights lawyers, and professionals working in both private and government established from Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Zambia.

Many participants said the training helped address an important gap in AI knowledge within the legal profession. They explained that most AI training programmes available today are very general and often do not focus on the ethical duties, legal procedures, and confidentiality issues that lawyers deal with every day.

Opening the programme, Elfredah Kevin Alerechi, founder of JournoTECH, focused on connecting AI theory with real-life legal work. She introduced participants to specialised tools that can support legal workflows while emphasising that simply knowing about the technology is not enough.

Alerechi also spoke about some of the risks lawyers must consider when using AI systems, including bias, misinformation, and inaccurate results. She showed how platforms such as NewsAssist AI, Google NotebookLM, among others, can help legal professionals with tasks like transcription of depositions and analysing legal documents. At the same time, she reminded participants that technology should always be used carefully and with professional judgement.

Offering a wider perspective on responsibility in AI systems, Lizzie Coles-Kemp, Head of Information Security at Royal Holloway, University of London, spoke about what she described as a “sociotechnical” approach to responsibility. She explained that AI systems can sometimes create “responsibility gaps” when people rely too much on automated tools to make decisions.

According to Coles-Kemp, good AI governance is not only about deciding who is to blame when something goes wrong. It is also about building shared values, clear accountability, and transparency within organisations that use the technology.

The training also looked at the technical side of protecting sensitive legal information. Rebecca Bird, founder of BixBe Tech, cautioned lawyers against assuming that paid AI tools are automatically secure. She encouraged participants to treat every AI platform like a “stranger in the room” and to carefully check how their data is handled before sharing confidential information.

Meanwhile, Soribel Feliz, CEO of Personal Algorithms LLC, spoke about the growing problem of “Shadow AI.” This happens when employees use AI tools at work without approval from their organisation. She said law firms need clear policies and governance systems to ensure AI is used safely and responsibly.

Participants described the training as a valuable opportunity to receive practical guidance designed specifically for the legal profession. The sessions went beyond simple demonstrations of AI tools and explored deeper issues such as professional accountability, client confidentiality, and the full lifecycle of data privacy.

As the programme ended, organisers reminded participants that while AI can help automate many time-consuming tasks, the final responsibility for legal decisions always rests with the lawyer.

Participants said the training has equipped them with new strategies and frameworks that will help them guide their firms through the growing digital transformation of legal practice while maintaining strong ethical standards and public trust.

JournoTECH is pleased to announce that applications are now open to participate in our upcoming 2-day online training for educators and researchers globally.

Selected participants can receive support from a small inclusion fund to cover data or internet access, making the training accessible to everyone.

This initiative is funded by SPRITE+, a consortium that brings together people involved in research, practice, and policy focused on digital contexts. SPRITE+ comprises the University of Manchester, Imperial College London, Lancaster University, Queen’s University Belfast, and the University of Southampton, and is funded by UKRI EPSRC (UK Research and Innovation’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council).

The training will focus on enhancing and increasing the capacity of educators and researchers to integrate Artificial Intelligence responsibly into their teaching and research practices, with a strong emphasis on ethics, data privacy, and digital trust.

The training is expected to take place on December 1 and 2, 2025, and aims to equip global educators and researchers with the knowledge and practical skills to use AI responsibly, ethically, and securely in academic and research settings. The exact training times will be determined after participant selection to ensure a fair schedule for people in different time zones.

Participants will explore how AI tools can be used responsibly in education and research, with a focus on data privacy, digital trust, and ethical practices. The training will combine expert talks, interactive discussions, and practical demonstrations of AI tools that allow participants to perform both short and large-scale analyses efficiently. Participants will also learn how to use industrial-grade AI tools without any coding, enabling fast, accurate, and responsible decision-making in their teaching and research workflows.

Trainers will include experts building responsible AI tools for researchers and educators, as well as specialists in data privacy, ethics, and digital trust who will share practical insights and real-world applications. The training will also help JournoTECH launch the Responsible AI Toolkit for Educators and Researchers, a practical resource developed to support teaching and research practices globally.

🧭 Who Should Apply
We welcome applications from:

• Educators, lecturers, and academic staff at all levels (primary, secondary, or higher education)
  
• Researchers and research support professionals, including PhD students
  
• Practitioners and innovators exploring responsible and ethical use of AI in academic or educational contexts
  

💻 Event Format: Online (two days)
🗓️ Dates: December 1–2, 2025
🕐 Time: To be confirmed after participant selection to ensure a balanced schedule across global time zones

🚨 How to Apply
👉 Complete the application form here
🕓 Application Deadline: November 24, 2025
Only selected participants will be contacted.

For any questions or further information, please contact us at info@journotech.org.

Join us to build a community of educators and researchers committed to advancing responsible, ethical, and inclusive AI practices in education and research.

By Matin Animashuan

“Barely.” That was the frank response from a group of journalists when asked if they trust artificial intelligence in their profession. The exchange set the tone at JournoTECH’s AI 2025 event in London, which brought together journalists, academics, technologists, and civil society advocates to discuss one urgent question: Can we trust AI with our work?

This event is funded by SPRITE+. SPRITE+ brings together people involved in research, practice, and policy with a focus on digital contexts. SPRITE+ is a consortium comprising the University of Manchester, Imperial College London, Lancaster University, Queen’s University Belfast, and the University of Southampton and is funded by UKRI EPSRC (UK Research and Innovation’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council).

Several speakers at the event warned that rapid adoption without caution risks eroding credibility.

Security and trust at the core

For Elfredah Kevin-Alerechi, founder of JournoTECH and organiser of the event, security must come first. She told attendees that journalists can trust AI, but only if they remain alert to risks.

“We understand as journalists that we have to secure our sources and data. Security was one of the main things I considered when building NewsAssist AI.”

The JournoTECH platform, NewsAssist AI, helps professionals transcribe and summarise large reports while keeping privacy and security front of mind.

Click the AI Event Report to explore more about the programme

The “machine trickster”

From Germany, Cade Dhiem, founder of Head of Research, World Ethical Data Foundation, painted a vivid picture of AI as a “machine trickster”. He compared it to an 18th-century automaton duck that seemed to eat and digest food but was, in reality, an elaborate illusion.

“Its green pellets, when inserted into authorship, can contaminate your work or defecate on the reputation of a masthead,” he warned.

Yet Cade did not dismiss AI outright. Instead, he urged journalists to “imprison the trickster and harness it”, offering rules such as never quoting AI directly, forcing it to reference sources, and using it only to strengthen rigour—not to seek truth.

Privacy and regulation gaps

Rebecca Bird, founder of BixBe Tech, stressed privacy concerns. She noted that Meta admitted in 2024 to training its models on public Facebook posts dating back to 2007, highlighting how little control users often have over their data.

“Confidentiality is sometimes not available on these platforms,” she cautioned, urging organisations to classify data carefully to avoid breaching GDPR and other regulations.

AI as a “false multiplier”

Pravin Prakash, from the Centre for the Study of Organised Hate, described AI as a “false multiplier” that amplifies misinformation within existing institutional weaknesses.

“Yes, it makes the problem worse—but mainly because of how it has been designed to source information,” he said, calling for stronger accountability from both governments and media houses.

A call for responsible use

Despite their differing perspectives, speakers circled back to a common theme: AI should not be rejected but used responsibly. Irresponsible use could worsen misinformation, damage public trust, and weaken democratic institutions.

As the discussion closed, one message stood out: AI is here to stay, but the responsibility lies with professionals—especially journalists—to use it with integrity, scepticism, and security at the core.

Since OpenAI released ChatGPT in November 2022, many industries have questioned this new technology’s trustworthiness and have hesitated to use it in their day-to-day operations. Journalism is a profession built on the concepts of trust and verifiable information. AI’s tendency to fabricate facts partly explains the industry’s initial hesitancy.

Nevertheless, media organisations are rapidly adopting AI. Whether it is through using generative AI to create headlines or draft breaking news. According to JournalismAI, 73% of media organisations believe AI provides new opportunities in journalism. Additionally, 85% of survey respondents said they used AI to complete tasks and summarise reports

IMPACT: JournoTECH AI-Powered supported Investigation Recognized by Reuters Institute, Cited in Nigerian Seminar

JournoTECH founder, Elfredah Kevin-Alerechi, will also speak at the Centre for Investigative Journalism summer conference in June.

Faith Imbu

LONDON – Since The Colonist Report Africa released its investigation into flooding in Southern Nigeria, in collaboration with The Colonist Report UK , the story has received international attention.

 JournoTECH, the tech department of both organisations played a key role by using AI technology to analyze over 3,000 pages of funding documents, helping the newsroom uncover important details. This investigation has also become an example used for training other journalists.

On November 27, 2024, The Colonist Report Africa published its findings on the floods in Rivers State, Nigeria, including how government funds were allocated and spent. We used AI to gather documents, analyze the data, and double-check the facts before creating clear visual summaries of our findings.

The investigation sparked a lot of interest from editors and journalists who were curious about how a small newsroom like ours could use AI to enhance its work.

Our founder, Elfredah Kevin-Alerechi, was interviewed by Laura Oliver from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, where she discussed the investigation process. The full story can be read here.

Additionally, Nigerian journalist Mohammed Auwal Ibrahim, Media Director and Editor-in-Chief of Halal, cited our investigation in his seminar at the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi. He was invited to speak about the ethical use of AI in journalism.

Ibrahim highlighted how media organizations like The Colonist Report are using AI responsibly to improve journalistic work.

He also shared our investigation on social media to show other small newsrooms what AI can help them achieve.

The Centre for Investigative Journalism in London, United Kingdom, has also invited Elfredah Kevin-Alerechi to speak at their 2025 Summer Conference. Her talk will include discussing our AI-powered investigation and various AI tools for journalists. The event is set for June 2025, and more details can be found on the organization’s website.

The Colonist Report Africa and The Colonist Report UK are small but growing media outlets that combine technology and journalism. JournoTECH helps lead this innovation by training journalists to use AI responsibly and effectively