Abuja, April 2026. Caroline Lucas, Director Special Projects at TEXEM UK, the United Kingdom based leadership development organisation, has urged African leaders and CEOs to examine the weakness of Artificial Intelligence (AI) before using it.
Speaking on www.texem.co.uk, Lucas explained that in the area of leadership development decision making, AI is fraught with weaknesses.
The Director in her statement, asserted that although AI can process quintillions of data points, yet it cannot grasp the nuance of a local market, the cultural heartbeat of a workforce, or the ethical weight of a boardroom decision.
She added that algorithms are masters of pattern recognition, but they are strangers to context.
According to her, for the African executive, the primary challenge of AI is not the machine’s ability to think, but the leader’s ability to judge.
“As leaders, your role is to ensure that data serves as a compass, not a pilot. We must guard against “algorithmic bias” that could inadvertently sideline our people or overlook the unique socio-economic textures of our continent,” Lucas said.
She observed that the conversation surrounding Artificial Intelligence often vibrates between two extremes: the utopian promise of infinite efficiency and the dystopian fear of the “black box”.
“The most critical risk we face in managing the transition is not the automation of tasks, but the amplification of inequality.
“If we treat AI simply as a cost-cutting tool, we risk fracturing our societies further. To prevent this, our leadership must see
reskilling as a right, not a privilege.
“We cannot wait for the “market” to fix the skills gap. Leaders must proactively invest in human capital, ensuring that the workforce of today is not discarded for the software of tomorrow,” the director said.
She said there must be purposeful role redesign as well saying that AI should not just replace jobs; it should liberate human potential.
“We must redesign roles to focus on what humans do best: empathy, complex problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration,” Lucas said
Calling for inclusion by design, she said that if the data fed into the systems is narrow, the output will be exclusionary.
“We must lead the charge in ensuring African data sets and African voices are represented, ensuring the “fairness of opportunity” remains at the center of the digital revolution,” Lucas said.
She said “Algorithm” can give leaders the what, but only “Human Judgment” can give them the why.
“Inequality is not an inevitable byproduct of technology; it is a policy failure of leadership.
“Let us build an African future where technology doesn’t just drive profits, but elevates every citizen.
“The future is not something that happens to us—it is something we build with every decision we make,” the leadership development expert said.
The statement announced that TEXEM will be hosting a leadership programme in Lagos, Nigeria with the theme “Beyond the Algorithm: AI, Data, and Human Judgement” from April 29 to 30.
On the Lagos event, Lucas said Prof. Rodria Laline is the TEXEM faculty that will deliver the programme.
Prof. Laline, is a former CEO of Oracle Asia Pacific. She has served as visiting Professor at Harvard, INSEAD and IMD. She invented the first chip used on ATM Cards.
She has advised Presidents of nations, central bank governors and CEOs globally.
Laline is Professor of Governance and Strategic Management Practice with board-level experience across Europe and Asia.
She has led global R&D collaborations and served on or chaired supervisory boards in multiple sectors.
Laline teaches board effectiveness, digital transformation, and strategy for directors.
The reputable TEXEM faculty is also an IMD alumna with a doctorate in Chemical Physics.
Interested participants for the Lagos programme are expected to click on the link:
The statement also shared testimonials of past delegates of TEXEM programmes.
“I regard the These Executive Minds (TEXEM) Executive Education programme as the best I have attended in recent times. Not one of them, but the very best as it was humanly perfect.
“My favourite thing about the programme would be … drawing our attention again to … change, which has been a constant in life experiences, you know, change in our lives, change, you know, in businesses … the evolution of businesses and the way we do things … discussions, for example, on cyber security and mental health, which is not just equipping us to know what is happening around us, even equipping us personally, our mental health, paying attention to also the ever evolving cybersecurity… Those are things I would say that made it very, very interesting”.
-Previous TEXEM delegate, Ifeanyi Ani CEO Total Pension CPFA
“TEXEM, is a good platform for advancing leadership training, and I would recommend them for any organizations or institutions that are, desirous of improving their workforce in leadership and strategic policy making”.
– Previous TEXEM delegate,
Prof. Olatunde Julius Otusanya, Hon. Commissioner, Tax Appeal Tribunal
“The program has been very interesting, exciting, facilitated knowledge sharing and it has actually brought about a greater insight into what leadership is.
– Previous TEXEM delegate,
Akinwunmi Lawal, former MD/CEO of NPF Microfinance Bank
