Renowned media entrepreneur and storyteller Chude Jideonwo has called on young Africans to embrace critical thinking, innovation, and continuous learning as Africa prepares for the future of education, technology, and global competitiveness.
Jideonwo made the keynote address at the 2026 edition of the TINE Africa Changemakers Conference hosted by Prince Louis O. Adekola under the theme, “Global Education and the Future of Africa.”
The conference, which was covered by Nigeria Education News, brought together education leaders, technology experts, entrepreneurs, students, and policy advocates for conversations centered on artificial intelligence, global education opportunities, leadership development, innovation, and the future of work in Africa.
In his keynote presentation, Jideonwo emphasized the importance of self-development, human-centered learning, and adaptability in preparing young Africans for the changing realities of the modern world.
He challenged participants to move beyond limiting beliefs and position themselves for global relevance through education, creativity, leadership, and intentional personal growth.
A major highlight of the conference was a panel session themed “Artificial Intelligence, Technology and the Future of Africa,” moderated by Daniel Emenahor, Head of AI Education at the British Council Nigeria.
Panelists at the session included technology entrepreneur Oluwatobi Oseni, education advocate Jadesola Adedeji, and business executive Victor Emaye, who examined how emerging technologies are transforming industries, reshaping jobs, and redefining the skills required for the future workforce.
Speaking during the discussion, Oseni urged African innovators to stop depending solely on foreign-built systems and instead create technology solutions designed specifically for African realities and challenges.
According to him, sectors such as education, transportation, governance, healthcare, and finance present enormous opportunities for young Africans to deploy innovative AI-driven systems capable of solving everyday problems.
“We need to build more quality products that solve our own problems instead of continuously adapting solutions designed for other markets,” he said.
Oseni also warned against excessive dependence on artificial intelligence-generated outputs without proper human reasoning and contextual understanding.
“Garbage in, garbage out. If the understanding is shallow, the output will also be shallow,” he added.
Education and STEM advocate Jadesola Adedeji stressed that Africa’s education system must evolve beyond rote learning to one that prioritizes critical thinking, creativity, communication, adaptability, and practical problem-solving.
“We have moved from a knowledge-based economy to a skills-based economy,” she said.
According to her, academic qualifications alone are no longer sufficient in a rapidly evolving digital economy where industries continue to change at unprecedented speed.
Another major session at the conference focused on “Advancing Scholarship in Africa Through Global Education Opportunities.”
The panel featured Deby Okoh,Nene Ogunade, and Ejiro Sharon Okotie, and was moderated by Seun Olagunju-Lana.
The speakers encouraged young Africans to strategically position themselves for international scholarships through academic excellence, leadership development, volunteering, and community impact.
They also stressed the importance of resilience, noting that many successful scholarship recipients experienced multiple rejections before eventually securing opportunities abroad.
Nnena Ogunade of the British Council highlighted several global scholarship opportunities available to African students, including the Chevening Scholarship, Commonwealth Scholarship, and GREAT Scholarship.
The conference also featured a fireside chat with Selar CEO Douglas Kendyson, who shared insights from his entrepreneurial journey from working at Paystack and Flutterwave to building one of Africa’s leading digital commerce platforms.
Kendyson encouraged young Africans to embrace patience, networking, education, and continuous self-development while building sustainable careers and businesses.
According to him, education remains one of the strongest tools for exposure, opportunity, and social mobility.
The event also hosted the grand finale of the TINE Africa AI and Technology Competition involving students from secondary schools across Nigeria.
Abesan Senior High School emerged as the overall winner with a presentation on an AI-powered smart attendance system and received the grand prize of ₦700,000.
16 Plus School secured the second position and received ₦350,000, while Refiners School, International School, University of Lagos, and Start Rite School Abuja each received ₦250,000 in recognition of their performances.
Participants described the conference as a timely and impactful platform that challenged young Africans to become innovators, solution-builders, and global leaders capable of shaping the future of Africa through education, technology, and leadership.
