AI: Take ownership or risk being destroyed, Africa’s business leaders, regulators charged

Founder, Digital Africa Global Consult Limited, Dr Evans Woherem, has charged business leaders, directors and regulators in Africa to take ownership of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is built, deployed, and controlled, or risk becoming a consumer of a technology that could fail it.

Woherem made the call in his keynote address at the Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria’s 2026 Annual Corporate Governance Conference, held in Lagos.

Speaking on the theme: “Artificial Intelligence (AI) Power & Accountability: The New Architecture of Corporate Governance”, he argued that the continent cannot afford to remain a passive consumer of AI at a period the technology is becoming increasingly important to business, government and society.

He warned Africa against being bystanders since the technology is too important to be left in the hands of very few organisations in the world.

Woherem stated that though building the right AI infrastructure is expensive, African countries and corporations must still invest in it in order to stay relevant.

While commending Kenya, Rwanda and a few other African countries for taking the technology seriously, he argued that Africa must do more to be able to effectively compete globally.

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He also asked the continent to be clear-sighted about the risks inherent in the adoption of AI technology and, therefore, be ready to properly control it.

According to him, AI is not inherently bad and could help solve Africa’s long-standing problems in health, education and power, among other sectors; but warned that the same technology could harm without safeguards and be very difficult without the right control in place.

The conference also featured a fireside chat on “From Digital to Intelligence Enterprise: What AI Governance Really Demands of Boards” and a panel session of professionals from different sectors and the launch of two publications: “Corporate Governance and Sustainability Reporting in Nigeria” and the 30th edition of the “Journal of Corporate Governance”.