A Lagos innovation advisor questions Nigeria’s readiness for the AI revolution, urging proactive building over passive consumption to avoid mass job displacement

Artificial Intelligence, the new magic word! Investors are funding it. Universities are teaching it. Even my WhatsApp uncle is forwarding AI-generated motivational quotes. In fact, it’s what the boys and I are always talking about over beer.

We’re all caught in the hype — and honestly, it’s exciting. But as the drums of this AI revolution beat louder, I find myself asking a different question:

Is Nigeria moving with it — or sleepwalking into an unfamiliar future?

Beyond the Hype: The Real Questions?

As someone standing in the middle of Nigeria’s innovation space, I’ve learned that real progress doesn’t just come from excitement. It comes from asking the harder questions — the ones that make us uncomfortable before they make us better.

Because beneath all the celebration, I keep wondering: What does this AI revolution really mean for the average Lagos resident? Good or bad? Or… are we even asking the right question?

Let’s face it: AI is power. And like any form of power, it can either empower or marginalize — depending on who wields it, and why.

Already, AI can write better poems than me, paint portraits, produce mad afro beats music, generate movie scripts, Create deep fake videos, build websites and apps.

Soon, AI “agents” will be able to run businesses, book flights, negotiate deals, order food — basically run your daily life.

For the global economy, that’s progress.

But for a country like Nigeria — where millions of talented youths hustle, grind, and create every single day — I have to ask: Where does this leave us?

We are a nation of creative, hustlers, dreamers, builders. Do we risk becoming irrelevant in a world where machines do our jobs faster and better?

What happens when a prompt — just a few words — can produce what took someone years of sweat to perfect? It’s not just a job issue. It’s an identity issue!

Are we finally going to become Sophisticated… But Jobless?

We might be on the verge of raising a generation of sophisticatedly unemployed people. Smart. Ambitious. Highly educated.

But displaced by tools built in Silicon Valley — by people who don’t even know where Osun State is. Is that alarmist? No — it’s realistic. But realism doesn’t mean panic. It means preparation.

Are we on track?

This isn’t about resisting innovation — far from it. I’m proudly part of Nigeria’s tech ecosystem. I believe AI can help us solve big problems — in healthcare, education, agriculture, even governance. But we can’t afford lazy excitement. We need active imagination.

We need to Build our own AI models (trained on African languages, Nigerian realities, and local problems), Revamp education(focus on critical thinking, not just certificates), Empower the creative industries (to see AI as a collaborator, not competition), Lead from the front —not always from behind.

Because let’s be honest, the future won’t wait and AI won’t ask for our permission to change the rules.

Is there still Hope for us?

Despite all the challenges, I believe in the Nigerian spirit. I’ve seen young Nigerians turn nothing into something, time and time again.

I don’t believe any machine can write our story for us — unless we let it. But we have to stay awake, we have to be strategic, we have to be audacious enough to build, not just consume.

My Final Thoughts: Let us start Asking Better Questions

The question isn’t “Will AI shape the future?” It’s: “What role will Nigeria play in creating that future?”

But even before we answer that, maybe we need to ask better questions: Is the idea of work about to be redefined?, Are we — after centuries of struggle — about to find ourselves back at square one?, If Africa doesn’t shape this technology, what will our future look like as mere consumers?

These are uncomfortable questions but from the right questions come the right actions. The future doesn’t belong to the loudest or the fastest. It belongs to those who ask the right questions early —and have the courage to build the answers.

About the Author

Akeem Hassan is an ecosystem builder and innovation adviser to the Lagos State Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology.

Passionate about the intersection of technology, governance, and African prosperity, he works at the forefront of Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem — building bridges between policy, creativity, and the future.

He believes Africa must not just adopt technology, but help define its next chapters.

By Akeem Hassan

Nollywood’s Kate Henshaw blasts Nigeria’s electricity tariff bands as a “huge fraud,” citing paying for 20+ hours but barely getting two

Nollywood actress Kate Henshaw has ignited a social media storm, labelling Nigeria’s current electricity tariff band system a “huge fraud.”

Also read: Kate Henshaw blasts FG over return to ‘colonial anthem’

In a series of impassioned posts, the award-winning actress voiced her frustration over the stark contrast between the high electricity tariffs consumers are mandated to pay and the woefully inadequate power supply they actually receive.

Henshaw lamented that despite being placed in a tariff band supposedly guaranteeing over 20 hours of daily electricity, she is fortunate to receive a mere two hours of power on what she considers a “good day.”

The actress questioned the fundamental logic underpinning the billing system, asserting that Nigerian consumers are being unjustly compelled to pay exorbitant rates for an electricity supply that is consistently unreliable and barely available.

“Paying for 20+ hours of power and barely getting two? That’s not inefficiency—that’s FRAUD,” she emphatically stated.

Drawing a stark comparison, Henshaw likened the current electricity billing practices to the recently collapsed Ponzi scheme, CBEX. In a follow-up tweet, she declared, “This electricity fraud is bigger than the latest Ponzi crash.”

Henshaw’s outspoken criticism resonates with the widespread frustration felt by many Nigerians who grapple daily with the erratic and often non-existent power supply despite escalating tariffs.

Her comments have quickly gained traction online, sparking further discussions and amplifying calls for urgent reform within Nigeria’s electricity sector.

Seven Doors, the Netflix mini-series, is a visual triumph, thanks to the masterful mise-en-scène crafted by art director Olatunji Afolayan. His meticulous attention to detail, from vintage props to authentic architectural designs, transports viewers to another era

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s a film student, my evaluation of Seven Doors, the Netflix mini-series produced and directed by Femi Adebayo and others, may differ from the general audience’s.

Also read: Aliu Gafar delivers stellar performance as Esusu in Femi Adebayo’s Seven Doors

While the audience is integral to the film’s meaning, my academic perspective allows me to appreciate the cinematic craftsmanship that underlies the narrative.

Unarguably, in the same way that auteur theory highlights the director’s creative vision and Schreiber theory emphasises the screenwriter’s role, mise-en-scène theory underscores the art director/production designer’s contributions to the film’s visual language.

The art director/production designer plays a crucial role in creating the mise-en-scène, encompassing settings and props, costumes, facial and body expressions, lighting and colour, and character positioning within the frame.

Therefore, the art director of Seven Doors, Olatunji Afolayan deserves a special recognition for designing visual elements that evoke nostalgia and cultural memory.

That you may know, the vintage chinawares and floral metal bowls in Seven Doors are props and carefully designed elements that contribute to the film’s visual composition and spatial relationships.

Olatunji Afolayan

The mural and sculptural designs are creatively etched on the walls and plotted to depict the period piece seamlessly.

The choice of architectural designs (constructed or adapted) is a brainchild of the art director’s attention to detail when selecting these props, which helps create a sense of realism and authenticity.

An art director is said to be a “master of visual storytelling, a weaver of worlds, and a conductor of the cinematic orchestra.”

The look, feel, mood, and colour pallets that connect all the departments are designed by an expert—the art director.

Olatunji Afolayan’s technical depth and prowess are the apparent signature of Seven Doors. Without Afolayan’s ‘dirtied hands’, Seven Doors would remain bald and bland.

In conclusion, the art director/production designer is an essential member of the filmmaking team, and their contributions to the mise-en-scène deserve recognition.

Olatunji Afolayan’s work in Seven Doors is a testament to the importance of the art director/production designer in creating a visually stunning and engaging film.

Also read: Accolades pour in for Aliu Gafar’s role as Esusu in Seven Doors

Undoubtedly, Olatunji Afolayan is the god of mise en scene in Seven Doors.