Peter F. Drucker made this bold declaration ‘’Innovate or Die’’ in his 1985 book, ‘’Innovation and Entrepreneurship’. This statement, which highlights the critical role of innovation in the survival and success of an organization is so relevant today as it was 39 years ago. Moreso in the current age of artificial intelligence where the pace of change is unprecedented, businesses who fail to adapt are simply gone, ‘’o ti lo’ in local parlance.

According to a PWC Global Artificial Intelligence study, AI is projected to contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030, and 70% of this gain would come from China and North America. Africa and Nigeria cannot afford to be left behind. To achieve our goal of making Nigeria a 1 trillion-dollar economy within the next decade, we must harness the power of technology, especially artificial intelligence to solve our perennial problems, enhance productivity across public and private institutions and accelerate National growth and prosperity. This must start with leveraging AI to build meaningful solutions to improve access and quality of education, healthcare, financial services, food, water etc.

To achieve this, we must all come together, startups, corporates, investors, governments, and other stakeholders to foster collaboration and leverage the power of the collective to accelerate collective growth and prosperity. This is why everyone is gearing up for Innovate Nigeria; Nigeria’s biggest corporate innovation conference and expo themed: "Accelerating Business Transformation in the Age of AI" holding at the Landmark Event Centre, Lagos 6th-7th February 2024.

Innovate Nigeria shall drive cross-sectoral conversations about Innovation and Artificial Intelligence, and how Nigerian startups, corporates, private and public institutions can leverage its transformative power for social good and global competitiveness. Furthermore, the conference is uniquely focused on corporate innovation and corporate venturing as an alternative source of capital for startups in Nigeria. Considering the current state of the global market and the difficulties faced by founders in Nigeria and other emerging markets seeking to raise capital, we believe a platform to foster startup-corporate collaboration, partnerships and investments is a timely intervention for the continuous development of the Nigerian startup and innovation ecosystem.

Innovate Nigeria has a lineup of over 50 top-notch speakers, exploring 12+ industries/tracks, with over 5000+ attendees. The tracks include AI, Fintech, Healthtech, Ed-tech, Manufacturing & Automation, Energy & Climate, Finance & Trade, Mobility, Proptech, Smart City & Infrastructure, Future of Work & Talent, Civic Tech & E-Gov, Foodtech/Agric, Corporate venture & M&A. The conference will feature an array of offerings, including enlightening conference sessions, dynamic exhibitions, exclusive studio tours, enriching masterclasses, investor dinner, innovation pitch competition and more.

At the conference, I would be hosting a very intriguing and timely conversation on how Startups, Corporates, and Government can leverage the transformative power of AI to accelerate growth in Nigeria. Joining me on the panel are seasoned professionals and startup founders who are experts in their field and would do justice to this topic. This is one of the many enriching key notes, panel sessions, master classes, exhibitions etc. that many people are looking forward to experiencing at Innovate Nigeria. Don’t be left out, check out the conference website or reach out to the team via info@novatechconference.com to register, book a booth, sponsor, or partner in other ways.

Conclusion:

In the rapidly evolving landscape of business and technology, Nigeria stands at the threshold of a new era, where embracing innovation is not just a choice but a necessity. The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has ushered in unprecedented opportunities and challenges, making it imperative for Nigerian startups, businesses, government, and policy makers to prioritize innovation to stay competitive and relevant. Innovate Nigeria conference and expo holding 6th -7th February 2024 at the Landmark event center in Lagos Nigeria presents a unique opportunity for thought leadership on innovation, artificial intelligence and its transformative power for Nigerian growth while creating a unique platform for networking, deal making, startup-corporate collaboration, partnerships, and investments. So, as we say in Nigeria, ‘No gree for anybody’’, accelerate your business growth by joining the AI revolution at Innovate Nigeria conference and expo 2024.

About the Author:

Adedamola Giwa is an accomplished business and thought leader in the fintech and technology space in Nigeria and across Africa. He is currently the Managing Director of the Fintech subsidiary of the ARM Group where he is leading the development of innovative financial services offerings within Nigeria’s biggest non-Bank financial services group. Prior to this, he was the managing director of JumiaPay in West and East African regions responsible for the financial technology (fintech) subsidiary of Africa’s leading eCommerce group, Jumia (NYSE: JMIA). Before Jumia, he worked at Verve International (Interswitch Group) as the Group Head of Digital and New Business for Africa and led the digitalization, innovation, and new business strategy for Verve across Africa. He also led Business Development for Nigeria, East and Southern Africa regions and oversaw Verve’s pan-Africa expansion and business development across 22 African countries. In furtherance of Adedamola’s commitment to Nigeria’s advancement in technology and innovation, he is a cofounder and co-conveners of Innovate Nigeria Conference and Expo 2024.