With bold optimism and a call to action, the President and Chairman of Council of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Gabriel Idahosa, officially declared open the 15th edition of ICTEL Expo 2025 at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos.
This year’s theme, “Leveraging Technology for Innovation and Development in Africa,” set the tone for a forward-thinking gathering of leaders, innovators, and tech entrepreneurs from across the continent.
“We meet here today not merely to discuss innovation, but to live it, to shape it, and most importantly, to ensure that technology becomes a powerful engine of progress across Africa,” Mr. Idahosa declared in his keynote speech.
Africa’s Time Is Now
The LCCI President challenged African nations to embrace the opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, highlighting global shifts in artificial intelligence, blockchain, robotics, and precision agriculture.
While acknowledging the continent’s structural challenges, he emphasized that Africa has the unique advantage of a young, tech-savvy population and the capacity to leapfrog outdated systems.
“The big question is no longer ‘Can we innovate?’ but ‘How boldly are we willing to act?’” he asked.
He pointed to examples from across Africa—Kenya’s M-Pesa, Rwanda’s drone-based medical delivery system, Ghana’s MEST Incubator, and Mauritius’ smart governance model—as proof that innovation is alive and thriving on the continent.
A Call to National Action
He also outlined six strategic imperatives essential for Nigeria to fully embrace the digital age and position itself as a continental tech leader such as urgent policy reforms that reflect current realities—emphasizing the need to integrate cybersecurity, artificial intelligence ethics, and data privacy into national ICT frameworks stressing the importance of expanding digital infrastructure, particularly broadband connectivity, to ensure that both urban and rural communities have equal access to high-speed internet.
He also advocated for ecosystem building through the growth of innovation hubs and partnerships, referencing the recently launched LCCI-BOI Innovation Hub as a model for collaboration, massive investment in digital skills development, particularly among Nigeria’s youth, through coding academies, vocational training, and ICT-based education.
To support innovation, he called for accessible financing models that will empower startups and early-stage ventures pushing for sector-specific tech solutions in agriculture, healthcare, and education, arguing that real-world impact must remain the focus of Nigeria’s digital transformation.
Mr. Idahosa also warned against the risks of digital exclusion, cyber insecurity, and monopolistic tech platforms, urging for regulatory balance and user protection.
“This Expo is not just a showcase of gadgets and platforms. It is a forum of ideas, a marketplace of collaboration, and a launchpad of transformation,” he affirmed.
The Future Is African
Closing his remarks, Mr. Idahosa urged African nations to seize the moment and lead the global innovation narrative.
“The time of marginalization is over. The age of innovation is here—and Africa will not be left behind,” he declared to a standing ovation.
