African businesses are rapidly elevating artificial intelligence on the executive agenda, yet many organisations still struggle to prepare their people to use the technology effectively. That is the assessment of ALX Enterprise, the corporate learning and workforce transformation arm of ALX Africa, following a series of executive engagements across the continent.
“Walk into a boardroom in Lagos, Nairobi or Accra and the conversation is increasingly about AI; including how to adopt it, where to invest, and whether the organisation’s people are ready,” says Ruby Igwe, Regional Director for West and Central Africa at ALX Africa. “The risk is that companies invest heavily in tools while under-investing in the capability required to turn those tools into performance.”
ALX Enterprise is its dedicated B2B offering of ALX Africa, a pan-African organisation focused on unlocking human potential through practical learning. It works with companies to build AI-ready teams and leaders through tailored programmes in Leadership Development, Workforce Productivity, and AI & Digital Transformation. Engagements range from short practical modules and strategic workshops to multi-month blended programmes, all designed around each organisation’s specific business challenges and measured against clear outcomes.
The series of executive events in Accra, Nairobi, Cairo and Kigali hosted by ALX Enterprise was attended by business leaders, HR professionals, C-suite executives and heads of talent and transformation. The consistent message was that AI transformation rarely fails because of the technology itself, but rather when organisations lack the leadership behaviours, practical skills and organisational habits required for sustained adoption.
“Leaders want their teams to use AI productively, yet many managers still experience the technology as intimidating, or don’t leverage the full benefits,” says Ruby. “When governance, ethics and change management receive less attention than the latest platform, uptake becomes uneven and returns on investment remain limited.”
She argues that closing the gap requires a structured approach. “We diagnose specific capability needs and link them to business outcomes, co-designing learning that fits how the organisation actually works. We then deliver programmes that drive accountability and application. Finally, it’s important to document evidence of whether teams are using the technology more effectively.”
Examples include financial services firms that might require the integration of AI into credit decisions without weakening risk controls, oil and gas companies seeking to ensure their organisation understands how to use AI and the ethics thereof, and telecoms operators equipping frontline teams with new digital tools while protecting service quality. In each case, the solution is built around the organisation’s real context, be this short practical modules, leadership alignment workshops, or longer journeys that combine coaching, applied projects and measurement.
KPMG’s 2025 Africa CEO Outlook found that AI ranked as the top strategic priority for many African leaders heading into 2026, with 71% investing in AI to drive efficiency and resilience. Cisco research published in 2026 reported that 93% of African CEOs were more optimistic about AI than a year earlier, while almost two-thirds regarded its adoption as mandatory for modern business.
Yet the gap between investment and impact remains wide. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 found that 63% of employers worldwide identify skills gaps as the biggest barrier to business transformation. Nearly 40% of on-the-job skills are expected to change by 2030. Analytical thinking tops the list of required skills, followed by resilience, flexibility and agility, while AI and big data rank among the fastest-growing demands.
“Technology is becoming part of every career rather than a career path of its own, and that the advantage will go to people who pair knowledge of their field with tech fluency,” Igwe says.
Across sub-Saharan Africa the picture is similar. Employers remain relatively optimistic about talent availability, but still see the skills gap as a material constraint. In Nigeria, skills shortages and challenges in attracting talent rank among the top obstacles to transformation over the next five years (World Economic Forum, 2025). In South Africa, more than 60% of businesses identify skills gaps as a key barrier.
ALX Enterprise has trained more than 10,000 professionals across Africa with the explicit goal of moving AI and digital technologies from abstract concepts into practical, usable capability, while strengthening the leadership needed to support that shift. The company leverages more than 20 years of leadership development experience through the African Leadership Group, with clients including BCX, FirstRand and J.P. Morgan. Its programmes begin with organisational diagnostics before designing customised learning interventions aligned to business goals and measurable performance outcomes.
“African organisations that treat people development as a strategic priority, rather than a secondary cost, will be better placed to convert technology investment into sustained performance,” Igwe says. “The competitive advantage will not come from access to AI alone. It will come from people who know how to use it responsibly, creatively and effectively.”
Globally, 85% of employers surveyed by the World Economic Forum plan to prioritise workforce upskilling. In Africa, Igwe says the businesses that regard people development as a strategic priority will be strongly positioned to convert AI investment into lasting advantage. “The future of work is already here. Today’s productivity is determined by how effectively organisations combine human capability with intelligent systems. The organisations that align capability, access, and application with speed and precision will define productivity across Africa.”
