Africa’s push to adopt artificial intelligence could fall short if governments continue to prioritise technology acquisition over the human and behavioural factors that drive adoption, trust and productivity, according to an AI expert.
Adeoye Abodunrin, an Africa-focused AI transformation coach and thought leader, raised the concern at a media briefing held in Lagos.
He warned that while many countries on the continent are racing to deploy AI tools and infrastructure, insufficient attention is being paid to how people actually interact with these systems in real-world settings.
According to him, AI strategies that ignore behavioural incentives risk underperforming or even widening inequality, despite heavy investments in technology and digital infrastructure.
What Abodunrin is saying
Abodunrin said most AI strategies across Africa are overly focused on infrastructure, algorithms and tools, while neglecting the behavioural dynamics that determine whether systems are trusted, adopted and used productively.
He argued that without integrating behavioural economics into AI policy and design, technology-led reforms may fail at the point of citizen interaction.
“Many AI policies look impressive on paper because they focus on technology.
“But if they do not account for how people think, decide, trust, and adapt, they will fail at the level that matters most, which is people,” he said.
According to him, Africa does not suffer from a lack of ideas or talent, but what we often miss is alignment, aligning technology with behaviour, culture, and incentives.
- He stressed that behavioural intelligence is what transforms AI from a “shiny tool” into a sustainable development engine, warning that otherwise, sophisticated systems may end up underused, misunderstood or distrusted by the communities they are meant to serve.
Flashback
Recent data suggests that Africa’s largest economy is already among the world’s most enthusiastic adopters of artificial intelligence tools.
A Google and Ipsos report titled Our Life with AI: Helpfulness in the Hands of More People highlighted Nigeria’s emergence as a global leader in AI adoption.
- The report shows that 93% of Nigerians use AI tools to learn and understand complex topics, compared with a global average of 74%.
- About 88% of Nigerian adults have used an AI chatbot, well above the global average of 62%.
- In the workplace, 91% of Nigerians use AI to assist with their jobs.
- Around 80% leverage AI to explore new business ideas or career transitions, nearly double the global average of 42%.
Abodunrin said these figures demonstrate that Nigerians are not only adopting AI at scale but are using it purposefully for learning, work and opportunity, underscoring the importance of designing policies that reflect behavioural realities.
More insights
Despite strong adoption rates, Abodunrin cautioned that high usage does not eliminate the need for better policy design.
- Instead, he said it heightens the urgency for governments to understand how trust, incentives, culture and institutional credibility shape AI outcomes across different communities.
- He warned that without this understanding, AI deployments in sectors such as digital identity, healthcare, education, taxation and financial inclusion could fail to deliver inclusive growth.
- Abodunrin urged African policymakers to embed behavioural frameworks into AI governance, regulation and public-sector deployment.
He argued that behaviour-led AI governance is essential for building trust and ensuring equitable outcomes.
“Behavioural economics helps us understand how people actually interact with AI systems and what motivates sustained use.
“Without these insights, AI strategies risk leaving behind the very people they aim to empower,” he added.
He added that in the AI era, behavioural insight should be treated as a core pillar of policy rather than an afterthought if Africa is to convert high adoption into long-term development gains.
What you should know
While Nigeria is at the forefront of AI adoption, structural gaps remain that could limit its ambition to become an AI powerhouse.
According to the State of AI Policy in Africa 2025 report, Nigeria’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy suffers from a lack of dedicated funding despite strong deployment efforts.
Although data centre investments have increased in recent years, Nigeria still does not have an AI-ready data centre.
