The Chief Information Officer of MTN Nigeria, and recently appointed Executive, IT Core Design for MTN Group, Shoyinka Shodunke says Africa has a rare opportunity to lead and participate in the ongoing fourth digital revolution, provided it overcomes hesitation, legacy mindsets, and weak leadership.
The call was made known on Friday, at Tech Revolution Africa 2.0, during a keynote session titled “The Digital Economy Forecast for 2026.”
The conference, sponsored by, alongside David Ogebe, Chief Executive Officer of HOH, was designed to connect the full value chain of technology across the continent. It brought together talents, innovators, policymakers, startups, investors, and industry leaders to network, collaborate, discuss the future of technology, and drive innovation across Africa.
Speaking at the event, Shoyinkareferenced Africa’s historical experience with past industrial revolutions, the MTN CIO warned against repeating old mistakes.“Africa was completely missing from the first industrial revolution. In the second, we were only providers of raw materials, and in the third, we were merely consumers.
“Revolutions punish hesitation. When Africa hesitated in the first, second, and third revolutions, we lost out, and history punished us”, he said.
Shodunke stressed that the fourth digital revolution presents a different reality, driven by data, cloud computing, and talent rather than heavy capital investments.
“The inputs today are data, cloud, and talent. The factory now sits in the cloud. For the very first time, Africa has an opportunity not just to participate, but to lead, because the playing field has changed.” He stated.
He identified leadership, rather than capital or talent, as the biggest challenge facing Africa’s digital future. “Our biggest risk is not lack of capital or talent; it is leadership.”
Shodunke said: “This is not a time for comfort or committee meetings. It is a time for bold leadership that is willing to disrupt legacy products, legacy revenues, and even itself.”
Using MTN Nigeria as a case study, he noted that the company has moved beyond basic connectivity into cloud services, fintech, and artificial intelligence.
According to him, connectivity and data have become commodities, and the real value is in building intelligence on top of those commodities, where winners in this digital era would emerge.
He therefore urged African youths and innovators to act decisively.
His words: “History does not reward those who wait to be convinced. The time to act is now. Africa must not be left behind again; this time, we can set the trend for the fourth digital generation.”
While noting the visible growth of the platform, the transformation and revolution that have been carried out within a year, Shodunke commended the conference conveners for building a strong ecosystem for technology conversations in Africa. Following his keynote session, the MTN CIO was honoured with the Pan-African Technology Leader of the Year award, in recognition of his impact and outstanding contributions to technology development across Africa and his consistent leadership in advancing the continent’s digital ecosystem.