By Jimoh Babatunde
Former President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has urged African countries to invest in homegrown technologies and advanced computing, saying the continent must move beyond adopting foreign innovations to developing technologies capable of competing globally.
“Africa must not simply adopt the technologies of the future; we must help build them,” Adesina said at the BPI Iconic Awards in Johannesburg, South Africa, weekend.
Speaking on “Africa’s Next Leap: Visionary and Ethical Leadership for an Integrated and Prosperous Africa in the Global Economy,” he identified artificial intelligence,
semiconductors, robotics, data science and cybersecurity as critical areas for investment.
He called for stronger universities, research laboratories, computing infrastructure and industrial ecosystems to enable African scientists and entrepreneurs to develop indigenous technologies and intellectual property.
“Our ambition must go beyond teaching people how to use AI. We must prepare people to build it,” he said.
Adesina said Africa’s youthful population, natural resources and expanding markets offered significant opportunities for technological advancement, but stressed the need to translate these advantages into productive capacity.
“Africa must be among the builders,” he said, stressing that the continent should not merely experience the artificial intelligence revolution but help shape its direction.
He also urged African countries to shift from exporting raw materials to local processing, manufacturing and research to retain more value from their resources.
Citing Nigeria’s $20 billion Dangote Refinery as an example of African industrial ambition, he called for more homegrown industrial champions in sectors such as electric vehicles, battery production, pharmaceuticals and advanced manufacturing.
The former AfDB chief also urged African governments to use the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to build integrated production networks, attract investment and enable businesses to compete globally.
He said these ambitions required visionary and ethical leadership anchored on accountability, transparency and strong institutions.
“The national interest must stand above all other interests,” he said, stressing that Africa’s economic transformation depended on leaders prioritising long-term development over short-term gains.
Adesina urged governments to equip young people with future-ready skills and create an enabling environment for entrepreneurs and technology developers, saying Africa must help shape, rather than merely experience, the global artificial intelligence revolution.
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