The call was made by the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, during a lecture at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, where she spoke on the implications of global technological disruption for Nigeria and Africa.
According to Okonjo-Iweala, the global order is undergoing profound disruption driven by technology, geopolitics and climate pressures. While these changes pose significant risks, she said they also present unprecedented opportunities for countries that are prepared to act strategically.
She stressed that universities must play a central role in Africa’s technological, industrial and economic transformation, describing ABU as one of Nigeria’s most important centres of learning. Reflecting on Nigeria’s post-independence history, she noted that the country had only one degree-awarding institution in 1960, making the expansion of universities a critical pillar of nation-building.
Okonjo-Iweala said institutions such as ABU, founded in 1962 as the University of Northern Nigeria, helped lay the foundation for Nigeria’s scientific, technological and entrepreneurial capacity. She highlighted the university’s contributions across engineering, medicine, sciences, information and communication technology, public administration and the humanities, as well as research breakthroughs that have provided practical solutions in areas such as animal feed innovation and rural wind power generation.
Turning to global trends, the WTO chief identified technology—particularly the internet and artificial intelligence—as one of the most disruptive forces reshaping trade, production and employment worldwide. While these advances have made communication, production and trade easier, she warned that the benefits have not been evenly distributed and that automation and AI could deepen inequality if poorly managed.
She added that global trade rules and multilateral institutions must evolve to keep pace with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, calling for a more responsive and adaptable form of multilateralism.
Okonjo-Iweala said Africa stands to benefit from what the WTO describes as “re-globalisation,” marked by the diversification of global supply chains away from over-dependence on a few countries. She identified opportunities for the continent in labour-intensive manufacturing, processing of critical minerals, renewable energy technologies, pharmaceuticals, agro-processing and electric vehicle supply chains.
She noted that Africa has the capacity to process its critical minerals through to electric vehicle battery manufacturing, pointing to Nigeria’s emerging lithium processing investments and vast renewable energy potential.
Reinforcing her message on local production, Okonjo-Iweala said Nigeria must stop importing technologies it has the capacity to manufacture domestically, citing solar panels as a clear example. She said local manufacturing would help create jobs, build economic resilience and support long-term growth.
She also expressed concern that Nigeria’s projected economic growth rate of 4.4 per cent is inadequate when population growth is considered, arguing that the country needs sustained growth of between 6 and 7 per cent. Such growth, she said, must be driven by productivity gains, technology adoption and value addition.
Achieving this, according to her, would require strong digital infrastructure, skills development, innovation-friendly policies and full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). She noted that technology-enabled trade and deeper regional integration could boost intra-African trade by up to 45 per cent and lift millions out of poverty.
With Africa expected to account for about a quarter of the global working-age population by 2050, Okonjo-Iweala described Nigeria’s youthful population as one of its greatest technology assets. She urged closer alignment between education, innovation and industrial policy to ensure the country does not miss the opportunities created by global technological change.
She concluded by calling for stronger collaboration between academia, industry and government, stressing the need for urgency, coordination and sustained investment in people and ideas to secure Nigeria’s economic future.