Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation in the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, 2014-2026

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital transformation have increasingly become important instruments for improving efficiency, transparency, accountability, decision-making, and service delivery in public organisations. This study examined Artificial Intelligence and digital transformation in the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) from 2014 to 2026. Specifically, the study sought to examine the influence of machine learning on bureaucratic imperatives and the influence of digital data management systems on decision-making. The study adopted the survey research design and used primary and secondary data. The population of the study comprises 300 officials from which 171 respondents were determined using Taro Yamane’s formula and purposively selected. Structured questionnaire were administered to elicit information from the 160 retrieved questionnaire which was subsequently analysed, representing a 93.6% retrieval rate. The research instrument was validated by experts, while reliability was determined using Cronbach’s Alpha. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation in SPSS. Findings showed that machine learning improved on administrative imperatives, with a grand mean of 2.98 and a positive relationship with bureaucratic efficiency at; r = 0.684, p = 0.000. Digital data management systems enhanced decision-making at; grand mean = 3.04; r = 0.721, p = 0.000. The study concluded that digital technologies significantly strengthened administrative performance in NESREA. The study thus, recommended that NESREA should adopt stronger machine learning, and improved digital data infrastructure, as well as staff capacity development, and technical support in other to improve and sustain NESREA environmental governance capacity.