By Atoyebi Nike
Chairman of UBA Group, Tony Elumelu, has said artificial intelligence could drive Africa’s next major transformation if access to capital, inclusive systems and digital skills are prioritised.
Speaking on Wednesday at the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington during a panel on boosting productivity in the digital age, Elumelu said AI holds immense promise for sectors like healthcare, education and agriculture.
“Artificial intelligence can be the next great leap in healthcare, where diagnostic tools reach remote clinics; in education, where content becomes accessible in local languages; and in agriculture, where data helps small farmers improve yields,” he said.
He stressed that Africa’s digital transformation must be centred on people. “Productivity is not only about output per worker, it is about opportunity per person,” he said.
Elumelu acknowledged challenges such as weak infrastructure, poor connectivity and limited digital skills, but highlighted Africa’s youthful population and creativity as major assets.
He called for affordable capital for entrepreneurs, expanded digital skills training and smart public-private partnerships to drive growth. “Too many of our entrepreneurs lack access to affordable capital. Too many of our citizens lack digital skills. And too often, technology benefits are captured by the few, not the many,” he said.
He urged global partners to ensure Africa’s inclusion in AI, data and finance governance frameworks. “Inclusion is not automatic; it must be intentional,” he said.
Elumelu also called for the mobilisation of Africa’s estimated four trillion dollars in domestic capital to address infrastructure and development challenges, including energy poverty affecting more than half of the population.
“Africa’s young people do not want sympathy; they want systems that work, skills that matter, and partners who believe,” he concluded.
