TRANSFORMING TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMMES IN NIGERIA THROUGH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: PROSPECTS, CHALLENGES AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS

Teacher education in Nigeria is at a critical juncture, requiring transformation to meet 21st Century learning demands. Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents a unique opportunity to reshape teachers’ preparation, curriculum delivery, professional development and assessment. This paper explores the transformative role of AI in Nigerian teacher education programmes, drawing from local and global perspectives. It identifies the potential of AI in personalizing learning, automating administrative tasks, enhancing pedagogical skills and promoting data-driven decision-making using a qualitative synthesis of Nigerian scholarly works. The paper discusses the opportunity, challenges, ethical concerns and strategic policy directions for integrating AI into teacher education curricula, investment in infrastructure and collaborative efforts between government, institutions and education stakeholders. Keywords:  Artificial Intelligence (AI), Teacher Education, Nigerian curriculum reform, professional development, transformation