ALGORITHMIC AUTHORITY AND THE CRISIS OF LABOUR GOVERNANCE: A CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR AI-MEDIATED EMPLOYMENT IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Artificial intelligence is reshaping employment relations in Nigeria through algorithmic systems that increasingly influence recruitment, performance management, workplace surveillance, promotion, and dismissal. This article examines whether the delegation of managerial authority to algorithmic systems is compatible with the constitutional guarantees of dignity, equality, privacy, fair hearing, and the right to work under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended). The study adopts a doctrinal legal methodology, with data collected from constitutions, statutes, judicial decisions, policy documents, and relevant academic literature, supported by comparative and interdisciplinary analysis. It finds that algorithmic management creates a constitutional accountability deficit because automated systems cannot bear legal responsibility for employment decisions affecting workers' rights. The article further demonstrates the inadequacy of existing Nigerian labour law and the limitations of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2025–2029) as a labour governance instrument. It recommends an integrated constitutional framework founded on three interrelated doctrines: non delegable managerial accountability, technological competence and epistemic responsibility, and workforce reskilling as a constitutional obligation. It concludes that algorithmic innovation must remain subject to meaningful human oversight and constitutional accountability to protect labour rights while promoting responsible technological development.