Opinion

Cynthia Barnes – Founder & CEO, Black Women’s Wealth Lab™ [📸 Author] Cynthia Barnes used to earn less than $90,000 a year building systems that powered entire companies—until she realized her expertise was worth far more than a pay cheque. In this electrifying piece, she breaks down the mindset and math behind reclaiming your value: the same knowledge that once earned her $89K a year now commands $25K a day. With sharp wit and unflinching truth, Barnes challenges every professional—especially Black women—to stop letting employers rent their brilliance at discount rates and start charging the true market value of their…

Chika Uwazie – Co-Host, Afropolitan Podcast [📸 Author] For years, Ms. Chika Uwazie believed that good work would speak for itself—until she watched someone else get promoted for presenting her idea. In this powerful reflection, she dismantles the myth of quiet excellence and reveals the real formula for professional growth: visibility. With candid lessons and practical strategies, Chika shares how she went from overlooked to undeniable—not by being louder, but by being intentional about how her brilliance is seen and heard. “I have watched less qualified people get promoted because they were LOUDER.Not smarter. Not more capable. Just louder.I’d sit…

Meekam K. Mgbenwelu is Editor-at-Large at Numeris Media (Publishers of Bank & Entrepreneur Africa) Fintech Rising: How Africa’s Digital Money Revolution is Rewiring Economies If Afrobeats is Africa’s cultural export, then fintech is its economic rhythm. Across the continent, a revolution is reshaping how money moves – from Lagos traders tapping phones at roadside stalls, to Kigali taxi drivers accepting digital fares. Africa isn’t catching up; it’s innovating on its own terms, creating financial solutions born from necessity, not imitation. For entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders, understanding this shift isn’t academic, it’s strategic. Here’s what’s happening, why it matters, and…

Mayowa Olugbile – CEO, Itana Artificial intelligence (AI) is rewriting the rules of global competitiveness—and Africa stands at a crossroads. While the U.S., China, and Europe pour billions into AI infrastructure, talent, and applications, the continent’s innovators face systemic barriers that threaten to relegate Africa to the role of consumer rather than creator. In this essay, Mayowa Olugbile, CEO of Itana, examines the opportunities and challenges shaping Africa’s place in the AI revolution—and outlines what it will take to build a self-sustaining, globally relevant ecosystem. Africa and the AI race: Building from the ground up Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly…

Adebayo Ajibade – Founder, Loubby.AI Across Africa, a quiet revolution is underway. In his piece below, Founder at Loubby.AI, Adebayo Ajibade, tells how, at the latest Loubby AI Automation Bootcamp, more than 3,000 emerging talents began mastering the tools that power today’s digital economy—AI agents, no-code platforms, and workflow automation. In just weeks, these learners have built solutions that rival global startups: bots that resolve thousands of support tickets, HR workflows that cut hiring time dramatically, finance dashboards that reconcile reports daily, and healthcare tools that reduce patient wait times by 70%. This isn’t just training—it’s the blueprint for a…

Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes is currently the Founder and Managing Partner of Aruwa Capital Management, one of the few women owned and managed growth equity funds in Africa. She has over 15 years of investment banking and private equity experience in developed and emerging markets from global institutions such as J.P. Morgan.  In her reflection, Adesuwa shares how women are too often told to “find a mentor” or “grow their network” as the pathway to success, but adds that while guidance and connections matter, they are not enough. Her own breakthrough came when women investors and networks didn’t just encourage her—they…

Kofi Abunu – Managing Director, Food Concepts Plc In this piece by Kofi Abunu he speaks about how, after 17 years in the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry, he faced what felt like a crushing setback—a demotion. At first, it shook his confidence and made him question everything he thought he knew about leadership. But looking back, that “step back” became the space he needed to grow, rebuild, and rise even higher. Sometimes, the hardest detours are the ones that set you up for your biggest comeback. When a step back sets you up for more “After 17 years in…

Meekam Mgbenwelu is Editor-at-Large, Numeris Media Nigeria’s healthcare system is often judged by the number of hospitals built or doctors trained. But behind the scenes, the real crisis lies in the absence of data. In rural primary health centres, patient histories are stored in tattered notebooks, immunisation schedules are scribbled on walls, and life-or-death decisions are made without evidence. Now, a new wave of digital tools is disrupting this picture. From electronic records and analytics dashboards to SMS-based ordering systems, Nigerian startups are proving that the key to better healthcare may not be more bricks and mortar—but smarter data. Meekam…

Chika Uwazie – Co-Founder & Co-host, Afropolitan Podcast [📸 Author] Here’s the scenario: Silicon Valley is preoccupied with incremental convenience, while Africa is busy laying the foundation for humanity’s next chapter. With the youngest population on Earth and 2.5 billion people by 2050, the continent isn’t “catching up” — it’s building ahead. In this powerful piece, Chika Uwazie (Author, Podcast Host, & Creator) challenges global builders and investors to rethink their assumptions and recognise where the real future is being written. “Silicon Valley is building yesterday’s solutions for yesterday’s people.Africa is building tomorrow’s infrastructure for 2.5 billion humans…..By 2050, 1…

Once the world’s second-largest ginger producer, Nigeria is now importing bland, overpriced substitutes after a devastating fungal outbreak wiped out up to 95% of yields. The collapse has left farmers bankrupt, exports gutted, and the nation’s food security exposed, says John Dale (agricultural expert, procurement specialist, and export entrepreneur with over two decades of experience across Nigeria’s agro commodity value chain). Nigeria’s Ginger crisis — from global leader to importer “Nigeria’s Ginger Is Going ExtinctIt’s sad, but is our current reality.We now depend on imported ginger that is not our original ginger.It is bulk, bland, expensive, and not gingering.If you’ve…