The call for responsive and competent leadership in Africa took center stage on Friday, September 26, as former Anambra State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, delivered the keynote address at the Nigerian Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in the Americas (NAPPSA) Annual Conference 2025.
Speaking on the theme “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence in Pharmaceutical Development and Healthcare Delivery,”Obi stressed that Artificial Intelligence (AI), like the digital revolution before it, is poised to transform every aspect of human life, particularly healthcare. He, however, warned that Africa — and Nigeria in particular — risk being left behind due to poor leadership, weak policy formulation, and chronic failure in policy implementation.
Drawing lessons from Africa’s limited gains under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Obi contrasted the continent’s struggles with the progress made in parts of Asia, where governments successfully integrated global targets into national development strategies.
“For African nations, especially Nigeria, to harness the opportunities of the AI revolution, competent leadership is non-negotiable,” he declared, adding that leaders must possess “capacity, character, compassion, and commitment” to position the continent to leapfrog development.
Later in the day, Obi also featured as a keynote speaker at an event hosted by the University of Chicago, themed “Youth and Development Across the Diaspora: Vision, Purpose, Impact.”
Closing his engagements, Obi urged young Africans and the diaspora community to sustain their interest in Africa’s future, noting that the continent’s development will depend not only on domestic policies but also on the innovation, solidarity, and contributions of Africans abroad.
