Empowering Communities through AI-Driven Adult Learning: A Pathway to Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Rivers State

Abstract

This study examined how AI-driven adult learning empowers communities and advances sustainable entrepreneurship in Rivers State. Three objectives guided the study, from which three research questions were raised. The population of the study comprised 250 adult learners enrolled in community skill-acquisition and vocational training centres across three local government areas of Rivers State. The entire population was studied as a census, without sampling. Data were gathered using a structured, validated instrument titled “Empowering Communities through AI-Driven Adult Learning Questionnaire (ECADALQ)”. The instrument's reliability was established through the Cronbach Alpha method, yielding a coefficient of 0.79. Out of 250 copies of the questionnaire distributed, 231 copies were correctly completed and returned, and these were used for data analysis. Mean and standard deviation statistics were used to analyse the data collected, and items were considered accepted where the mean score was 2.50 and above. Findings revealed that AI-driven adult learning is integrated into community training at a moderate extent, with AI-powered assessment and feedback tools and university- or centre-provided AI platforms recording the highest acceptance, while research-oriented and language-support AI tools recorded lower acceptance. Based on these findings, it was recommended that government agencies, community learning centres, and development partners should subsidise AI-enabled devices and data, strengthen digital infrastructure in rural and semi-urban communities.