AFRICAN INDIGENOUS RELIGION OF EVO, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AND GOVERNANCE ETHICS IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

This study explores the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), the Evo Indigenous Religion of the Ikwerre people, and governance ethics in Rivers State, Nigeria. As AI technologies increasingly influence public administration, there is a pressing need to examine their compatibility with indigenous ethical systems that have historically guided local governance. The Evo religion, rooted in ancestral reverence, communal accountability, and spiritual authority, continues to shape governance practices among the Ikwerre. Using Afrocentric Theory by Kete Asante (1980) as the theoretical lens, this research re-centers African cultural values and spiritual epistemologies in discussions of modern governance and technological integration. Afrocentricity provides a framework for understanding the Evo worldview as a legitimate source of ethical governance, challenging the dominance of Eurocentric models that often marginalize local traditions. The study finds that aligning AI applications with the moral codes and communal structures of the Evo religion could enhance governance legitimacy, public trust, and culturally grounded policy implementation in Rivers State. This calls for a hybrid governance model that respects indigenous knowledge while embracing technological innovation.

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