Lagos State is urging human resources executives to take a lead role in restructuring Nigeria’s workforce for an artificial intelligence-driven economy, as rapid technological adoption redefines the skills needed across Africa’s largest metropolitan market.

Addressing business leaders at the Special Human Resource Forum 2026 in Lagos, Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, warned that traditional personnel management models are no longer sufficient to meet the demands of emerging labour markets.

“HR personnel cannot take the back seat. You really need to know what skills your staff require and where the future of work is going,” Sanwo-Olu said, emphasising that corporate talent managers must directly align with government strategies to establish Lagos as a regional hub for technology and human capital.

The push reflects growing concern across emerging economies over how to harness AI for productivity gains without exacerbating systemic unemployment or skill mismatches.

For Nigeria, where a youth-heavy demographic profile intersects with rising automation in banking, telecommunications and logistics, the speed of workforce adaptation is increasingly viewed as a key determinant of broader economic resilience.

Speaking at the event organised by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria, President of the Institute’s Governing Council, Ahmed Gobir, stressed that human-centric governance will dictate whether technological shifts drive inclusive growth or compound existing income disparities.

“History will not remember us for how quickly we adopted artificial intelligence,” Gobir said. “History will remember us for whether artificial intelligence improved the lives of our people, whether it created jobs or displaced livelihoods, and whether it reduced poverty or widened inequality.”

The debate comes amid forecasts highlighting both the significant economic upside and structural risks associated with rapid digital adoption across the continent. Keynote speaker Erica Farmer, a global AI and workforce specialist, pointed to projections indicating AI could add up to $1tn to African gross domestic product by 2035, while cautioning that real gains remain contingent on targeted upskilling.

“Potential doesn’t automatically equal prosperity,” Farmer noted. “We need to take people on that journey, and this is the defining moment for HR.”