By Funmilola Gboteku
A UK-based tech entrepreneur, Dr Tom Ilube, has called on Africa for which Nigeria belongs to adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drive innovation and development, rather than harbor fears about the technology,
Ilube said this during the Science and Technology Conference organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) ICT Group on Saturday in Lagos
He emphasised that Africa currently found itself in a precarious position, stating that it was yet to fully maximise the potential of artificial intelligence, while other global powers were making substantial investments in AI.
Ilube cited significant financial commitments of nations like South Korea and China to their AI industries, in comparison to pan-African, billion-dollar investments.
“There could be widespread job displacement over the next two to three decades as AI becomes capable of performing many tasks faster, cheaper, and better than humans.
“Noting that Unlike previous industrial shifts driven by natural resources, the AI revolution is primarily driven by intellectual capital, positioning Africa to compete on a level playing field,” he said.
Ilube underscored the need for Africa to transform into a smart and intelligent continent to capitalise on the unique opportunity, pointing out that, there is still time for Africa to become an early mover in the AI space, which would yield direct economic benefits.
“We need to start using tools like agentic AI, where software agents autonomously solve problems based on instructions, and multimodal AI, which can interact with various forms of data like text, voice, and video,” he said
He noted that by now in Africa the use of self-driving cars should be a normal thing as some countries were already in that space of AI advancement.
In her remarks, Mrs Ronke Adeyegbe, Chairman LCCI ICT Group, noted that the conference was centred around a theme that was both timely and transformational.
She highlighted that the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry would continue to play a pivotal role in providing platforms for dialogue, policy-making, and innovation.
Adeyegbe added ” we will also ensure that emerging technologies are applied in ways that truly transformed lives, businesses, and institutions”.
She said that the chamber would continue to foster an enabling environment for digital adoption, solution providers, regulators, and business leaders to share insights.
LCCI will showcase advancements, and shape policy frameworks that supports the impactful use of technologies”.Adeyeye said
