10th U6+ Consortium of African Universities International Conference

This study explored the relevance of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in explaining students’ readiness to adopt AI chatbot-based support services in Nigerian universities, with particular attention to University of Ilorin and Al-Hikmah University. The rapid integration of digital technologies in higher education has encouraged universities to introduce chatbot systems to support academic and administrative activities. However, the success of these innovations largely depends on students’ readiness, acceptance, and willingness to use them effectively. The study adopted a convergent mixed-method design that combined quantitative and qualitative approaches. In the quantitative phase, structured questionnaires were administered to 342 undergraduate students from the two universities to measure key TAM constructs such as perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude toward use, and behavioural intention. To enrich the findings, 25-item semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine students’ experiences, expectations, and concerns regarding chatbot-based support services. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests, while qualitative data were analysed through thematic analysis. Results showed that students generally demonstrated moderate to high readiness to adopt chatbot technologies. Perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use significantly influenced students’ intention to use chatbot systems. Students valued the convenience and continuous accessibility of chatbots, although concerns regarding data privacy, response accuracy, and limited human interaction were also identified. The study recommends strengthening digital literacy and improving institutional ICT infrastructure to enhance effective adoption.