Kola Adesina Advocates Practical Solutions for Africa’s Development at UNILAG Lecture

Sahara Power Group GMD Kola Adesina urges greater investment in education, research, innovation, and strong institutions to accelerate Africa’s development and transform ideas into lasting impact.

Adesina spoke as the guest lecturer at the 7th Arthur Mbenafo Lecture to make the 96th birthday of the donor of Arthur Mbenafo Digital Research Centre (AMDRC), University of Lagos (UNILAG), late Chief Arthur Mbanefo.

The lecture titled: “Illuminating Africa: From Rhetoric to Results – The why, the how, the who, and the when”.

It attracted the likes of former Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bayo Ojo, Senator Bode Olajumoke, Publisher of Vanguard Newspaper, Sam Amuka-Pemu, banker, Dr. Segun Aina, who was the chairman of the occasion, UNILAG Vice Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola and his management team, Director, MTN Foundation, Dr. Dennis Okoro, chairman of AMDRC, Dr. Ernest Obi and other dignitaries.

Adesina said: “We must invest relentlessly in education not just access to classrooms, but quality of learning. We must invest in skills, in mentorship, in health, and in the psychological well being of our people. A nation that does not invest in its people is consuming its future.

“Every engineer trained, every nurse equipped, every entrepreneur supported, every young woman given a seat at the table these are the most important long-term investments any society can make.”

Adesina explained that the institutions that will grow Africa are underfunded, adding, “we are in a new age and the analog period is gone.”

According to him, most citizens have never lived in societies where institutions consistently deliver, where public service can be relied upon, and where infrastructure serves the people.

The GMD said building a working Africa does not happen by accident but requires intention, sacrifice, structure and honest about the ingredients that are non-negotiable.

He listed trust, collaboration, building people, infrastructure development, policy consistency and innovation and technology adoption as what is required to build a working Africa.

Adesina defended the reason why Sahara Power Group invest in UNILAG and acknowledged the achievements recorded by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ogunsola.

“At the institutional level, our universities, our research centres including this one (AMDRC), our think tanks and professional associations must produce knowledge that is not just academic, but applied.

“They must be incubators of solutions, connectors of people, and advocates for evidence-based policy. The Arthur Mbanefo Digital Research Centre exists in this tradition. Its work matters. Its voice must be amplified, “Adesina stated.

In her remarks, UNILAG VC, Prof. Ogunsola said the lecture presentation would propose how to move the country beyond declarations to suggest practical pathways that can drive sustainable development, and deepen digital transformation.

“I have no doubt that we would be challenged to bridge the gap between vision and execution,” she noted.

The VC described the late Chief Arthur Christopher Mbanefo as a statesman, and philanthropist whose commitment to knowledge and national development inspired the establishment of the centre.

Ogunsola observed that through his generosity, AMDRC has become a vibrant hub for scholarship, innovation, and digital learning within our university.

The Chairman of the lecture, Mr. Ernest Ebi said he is confident the lecture will stimulate meaningful dialogue, inspire fresh thinking, and contribute to the collective search for practical solutions to the challenges and opportunities before us.

He noted: “At a time when the world is experiencing unprecedented technological disruption, geopolitical shifts, climate challenges, demographic transitions, and economic transformation, societies are defined by their capacity to generate knowledge, foster innovation, and translate ideas into tangible progress.

“It is in this context that the Arthur Mbanefo Digital Research Centre assumes even greater significance. The centre embodies recognition that research, digital transformation, innovation, and knowledge creation are no longer optional components of development; they are indispensable foundations for national competitiveness and sustainable prosperity.”

Ebi commended UNILAG for institutionalizing the lecture series and sustaining a platform that promotes rigorous discourse on issues of national, continental, and global importance.

He observed that universities occupy a unique position in society and that beyond their traditional roles as centres of teaching and scholarship, the institutions must serve as catalysts for innovation, thought leadership, policy development, entrepreneurship, and societal transformation.

The banker argued that the future relevance of African universities will be measured not only by the quality of their research publications but also by their ability to convert knowledge into solutions, discoveries into enterprises, and ideas into measurable improvements in the lives of people.

“Africa is not deficient in talent, intelligence, creativity, or entrepreneurial spirit. What remains critical is our collective ability to create stronger linkages between knowledge generation and practical application; between research and industry; between innovation and investment; and ultimately between ideas and impact,” Ebi added.