African AI Adoption Must Align Strategy With Local Context, Says David Adeoye Abodunrin

Africa’s ability to benefit meaningfully from artificial intelligence will depend less on adopting global models and more on aligning technology use with local priorities and governance frameworks, according to David Adeoye Abodunrin, a Nigerian futurist and strategic transformation coach.

Abodunrin made the remarks during a recent engagement with ICT editors in Lagos, where discussions focused on the continent’s readiness for AI-driven change and the policy, institutional and human capacity gaps that remain. He argued that while AI adoption across Africa is accelerating, long-term impact will require deliberate strategy rather than fragmented experimentation.

According to Abodunrin, AI should be approached as part of a broader transformation agenda that includes governance, skills development and behavioural change, rather than as a standalone technical upgrade. He noted that many African institutions risk reacting to disruption only after it has begun to erode competitiveness, rather than preparing in advance.

Abodunrin is known for advising governments, corporate boards and executives on foresight strategy, digital governance and human-centred innovation. His work spans areas such as artificial intelligence policy, cybersecurity, behavioural intelligence and institutional transformation, with a focus on helping organisations anticipate and manage systemic risk.

Speaking on the role of AI in Africa’s development, he maintained that the technology has implications beyond productivity gains, touching on economic resilience, digital sovereignty and leadership capacity in a global digital economy. However, he cautioned that without ethical guardrails and contextual understanding, AI deployment could deepen existing inequalities or expose weak institutional systems.

His advisory work centres on what he describes as anticipatory intelligence, the ability of organisations and governments to identify emerging trends early and respond before disruption becomes a crisis. This approach, he said, is particularly relevant for African economies that often operate under conditions of volatility and limited policy buffers.

Abodunrin is  an Amazon 14-time international bestselling author, with multiple internationally distributed titles focused on strategy, leadership and future readiness. His published frameworks draw from behavioural psychology, foresight planning and digital policy, aiming to help leaders navigate uncertainty and long-term complexity rather than short-term market cycles.

Through his consulting firms, Cubed Integrated Consulting and Cyberfore Consulting, he works with public and private sector institutions on issues ranging from secure digital infrastructure to executive leadership development. These engagements, according to him, are designed to strengthen institutional capacity rather than promote rapid but fragile digital adoption.

A recurring theme in his commentary is the need for African-led approaches to technology policy. He emphasised that AI governance models imported wholesale from other regions may not adequately reflect Africa’s social structures, economic realities or regulatory environments.

In his view, effective AI strategy on the continent should prioritise local talent development, context-aware regulation and the protection of critical digital infrastructure. He also highlighted the importance of behavioural intelligence, understanding how people and institutions actually respond to change — as a factor often overlooked in technology planning.

Abodunrin noted that African policymakers are increasingly engaging with questions around AI ethics, data protection and digital sovereignty, but progress remains uneven across countries. He suggested that stronger collaboration between governments, the private sector and research institutions will be necessary to translate policy discussions into practical outcomes.

While Africa’s AI ecosystem is still emerging compared to more mature markets, he argued that this presents an opportunity rather than a disadvantage. Late adoption, he said, allows African economies to learn from global missteps and design systems that are more inclusive and resilient from the outset.

Further details on Abodunrin’s work and public engagements are available on his website.