Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN Nigeria), in collaboration with Fidelity Bank Plc and other organisations, has encouraged young entrepreneurs from Nigeria to adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their businesses.
The call was made during the Youth Entrepreneurship Dialogue, themed: ‘Building the future with AI: technology, talent, and transformation entrepreneurship’ held during the 2025 Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) in Lagos, and powered by GEN Nigeria.
Speaking at the dialogue, the Managing Director of GEN Nigeria, Dr. Olawale Anifowose, said: “AI is important to local enterprises in Nigeria for enhancing productivity, driving innovation, and improving competitiveness.
It achieves this by automating tasks, personalising customer experiences through data analysis, and enabling entrepreneurs to build and scale new products and services more efficiently.
“AI is also critical for the growth of key sectors like finance, healthcare, and agriculture, and the adoption of these technologies is becoming essential for businesses to stay competitive.”
On enhancing efficiency and productivity, Anifowose stated that AI can handle repetitive tasks, freeing up employees to focus on more creative and strategic work, ultimately boosting productivity.
Adoption of AI can improve decision-making, by analyzing vast amounts of data.
AI provides businesses with actionable insights to make more informed decisions and predict trends, he said.
The guest speaker/CEO of Bildup AI, Mr. Chibuike Aguene, who spoke on the theme: ‘Building the future with AI: technology, talent, and transformation entrepreneurship’, said any entrepreneur who embraces AI would have the best moment.
“We are transitioning into an era of hybrid intelligence where humans will augment their intelligence with AI,” Aguene added.
The Head, Brand Management, Fidelity Bank Plc, Cynthia Ogbonna, said: “We are partnering with GEN Nigeria and the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of Pan-Atlantic University to bring this to the teeming young entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses in Nigeria. It’s an opportunity for like-minded individuals to talk about entrepreneurship, technology, and talent, and how we can scale as an economy, improve, and grow enterprises.”
She said: “The Nigerian youth population is large, over 60 per cent, and there are a lot of opportunities to be harnessed from that particular population. So, this gathering is to talk about issues that revolve around transformation, entrepreneurship, technology, and scaling businesses.”
