By Isaac Asabor
Copyright independent
The Institute of Change Management (ICM) on Thursday declared open its 2025 Annual Conference in Lagos with a strong call for Africa to harness innovation, technology, and resilience in navigating the next era of transformation.
Welcoming delegates, the President and Chairman of Council of ICM, Mr. Nat Beifoh Osewele, described the conference theme, “Navigating to the Future: Synchronising People, Processes and Technology for the Next Era of Change”, as a direct reflection of the challenges and opportunities shaping the times.
Osewele said. “This conference is not just a meeting of minds; it is a Launchpad for transformation. Over the next two days, you will engage with thought leaders, innovators, and practitioners who are actively redefining how organizations operate and evolve.”
He commended the planning committee for its dedication and stressed that the insights participants would gain, from digital transformation to human-centered leadership, would extend beyond the conference hall to influence communities and economies.
“The future is not something to be feared, it is something to be designed. And together, through shared knowledge and collective action, we will design it well,” Osewele concluded.
Following the President’s address, Zinox Technologies Founder and Chairman, Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh, who was scheduled to deliver the keynote, was represented by technology entrepreneur Chris Uwaje.
Ekeh’s lecture, titled “The Audacity of Change: Interrogating the Future, Exploring Leadership, Technology Innovation, and Resilience, “warned of the disruptive power of artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and other emerging technologies on Africa’s socio-economic future.
“The AI revolution is upon us like a fearsome wave,” he noted. “The next 25 years may not be kind to families, businesses, governance, and leadership structures if Africa fails to strategically position itself. But with the audacity to navigate and master change, those challenges can be turned into immense opportunities.”
He stressed that adopting and mastering digital technologies, from blockchain and drones to augmented reality, synthetic biology, IPv6, and the Internet of Things (IoT), would determine Africa’s competitiveness. Otherwise, he cautioned, “the doom of becoming a digital colony may dawn on Africa with unimaginable consequences.”
Ekeh also highlighted energy as the backbone of digital transformation. “We cannot wish change without prioritising abundant energy. Power supply is the backbone of the future of digital transformation,” he said.
Urging leaders to inspire innovation and cultivate humility, empathy, creativity, and trustworthiness, Ekeh emphasized experimentation, calculated risk-taking, and resilience as essential qualities for effective leadership.
“The audacity of change requires the courage to interrogate and challenge conventional thinking, to take ambitious but calculated risks, and to learn from failures,” he said. “This is your time to code the future and change the rules of the game.”
The 2025 ICM Annual Conference continues with plenary sessions, expert panels, and workshops aimed at equipping participants with tools to lead organisational and societal change in an era defined by rapid technological shifts.
