AI4WA - AI for Women in Aquaculture

Overview

Across aquaculture value chains, women have long been confined to low-value post-harvest roles, while higher-value production activities remain dominated by men. As AI technologies begin to reshape the sector, there is a real risk that these innovations could deepen existing gender gaps rather than close them locking women out of the opportunities that emerging technologies create.

Led by Summit University, Offa, the project combines rigorous assessment of AI applications in aquaculture systems with critical gender analysis to ensure that new technologies are deployed equitably. Through extensive scoping studies and gap analyses, the team identifies where AI risks reinforcing existing biases and where it can instead open doors. The research actively creates pathways for women to move beyond post-harvest activities into higher-value production roles across the aquaculture value chain.

The project is already generating strategic recommendations that equip policymakers with the tools to foster diversity and equity within Nigeria's blue economy. By embedding inclusion into the design and deployment of AI from the outset, the work offers a replicable model for responsible AI innovation one that ensures the benefits of a growing sector reach those who have historically been excluded from it.