Stakeholders in governance, technology and enterprise development have called for a new style of leadership that blends innovation, integrity and artificial intelligence (AI) adoption to position Nigeria and Africa competitively in the global economy.
They made this call at the third biennial Corporate Governance and Enterprise Development Conference 2025 with the theme, ‘Redefining enterprise leadership in a changing Nigeria: Artificial Intelligence, protectionism and governance in focus’, organised by the Centre for Enterprise Governance (CEG).
The stakeholders argued that Nigeria’s future competitiveness depends on embracing AI with caution, strengthening governance and nurturing enterprise leadership rooted in trust, transparency and innovation.
In his keynote address, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Abdullahi, said organisations must inspire their workforce by linking daily tasks to broader national goals such as economic growth and societal impact.
He added that trust and motivation were critical to unleashing staff potential.
“People need to see their job as a calling, not just a salary. When there is trust, work goes beyond routine.
Today, if I send an email at 12 midnight, I get a response by 6a.m. That level of commitment comes from trust and motivation,” he said.
He warned against malicious obedience, a situation where employees carry out instructions they know are counterproductive due to a lack of trust in leadership.
He further stressed the need for enterprises to not only win today but also shape tomorrow through forward-looking policies and innovations.
On AI, Abdullahi urged enterprises to adopt three guiding principles: invite AI to the table to understand its strengths and limitations; remain the person in the middle to verify its outputs and prevent errors and assume that every AI tool in use is still evolving. He cautioned that while AI could replace up to 50 per cent of tasks in existing jobs, it must be seen as a tool to enhance rather than replace human talent.
“AI should not just be used to draft emails or proposals. It must be seen as a third partner, a tool for building solutions, strategies and innovations. Beyond human collaboration, we must now think of collective intelligence where humans and machines work together,” he said.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CEG, Adeyinka Hassan, reinforced this point, noting that leadership today requires adaptive intelligence, courage and integrity.
“Leadership is not about titles: it is about adaptive intelligence, the courage to embrace technology without losing our humanity, and the wisdom to drive innovation with transparency,” he said.
Hassan cited statistics showing that 78 per cent of global companies have adopted AI, with 48 per cent using it to harness big data and over half of the telecoms sector relying on AI chatbots for productivity. The global AI market, he noted, is projected to reach $391 billion next year, contributing $3.78 trillion in value to businesses worldwide.
“The challenge is simple but profound: while the world moves at lightning speed, Nigeria and Africa are still playing catch-up. If we delay, the digital divide will become an economic gulf. This conference is a call to action,” Hassan declared.
Chairman of the Governing Board of CEG, Olu Onakoya, emphasised the central role of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in driving national growth.
“If you look at other countries, their growth has been underpinned by SMEs. Enterprise, governance and leadership combined make a powerful and contemporary subject,” he said.
Also speaking, Independent Non-Executive Director at First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Olayemi Kemi, urged Nigerian enterprises to prioritise governance before scaling AI.
“Start small, then scale responsibly. Protect your people, safeguard your data and embed ethics at every level. AI can analyse data and mimic our voices, but it cannot dream or imagine. Leadership must ensure that machines serve humanity,” she said.
Secretary to the State Government of Ogun State, Olatokunbo Talabi, highlighted the role of government in creating the enabling environment for enterprise leadership.
“Governance remains the bedrock for enterprise development. Without transparent, accountable and responsive governance, leadership cannot thrive,” he noted.
Talabi underscored the need for infrastructure, regulatory clarity and platforms for engagement as the government scales its own capacity to match technological disruptions.
