Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has urged human resource professionals to equip Nigeria’s workforce with the skills needed to thrive in an artificial intelligence-driven economy, stressing the importance of innovation and continuous learning.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has challenged Human Resource (HR) professionals to take a leading role in preparing Nigeria’s workforce for the rapidly evolving world of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
He, however, said that human capital development would determine the country’s future competitiveness and economic growth.
Sanwo-Olu, who spoke during the Special Human Resource Forum (SHRF) 2026, organised by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM), described the Institute as a strategic partner in Lagos State’s ambition to become a global hub for human capital development.
According to him, one of the pillars of the state’s long-term development agenda is to build a world-class workforce capable of thriving in an AI-driven economy, a vision that closely aligns with CIPM’s mandate to advance people management excellence.
“There is no way we can achieve that without a real partnership with institutes like CIPM,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He stressed that HR professionals could no longer afford to play a passive role as technological disruption continues to transform workplaces, industries and economies, noting that organisations must proactively identify emerging skills and prepare employees for the future of work.
The governor also commended the Institute for its contribution to workforce development in both the public and private sectors, noting that many Lagos State civil servants have benefited from its professional certifications and capacity-building programmes.
Earlier, President and Chairman of the Governing Council of CIPM, Ahmed Gobir, challenged HR professionals to ensure that AI becomes a catalyst for inclusive economic growth rather than a force that deepens inequality.
Gobir, while addressing participants on the theme, “People Policy and Performance in the Age of AI: HR Leadership for Economic Transformation and Poverty Reduction,” said that the impact of AI would ultimately depend more on leadership and people-centred policies than on the technology itself.
In her keynote presentation, Global AI and Leadership Expert, Erica Farmer, urged organisations to place people at the heart of their AI strategies, warning that technology alone would neither guarantee economic growth nor social progress.
She described AI as “mass intelligence” rather than merely another technology and said its transformative potential would only be realised through deliberate investments in workforce skills, leadership development and organisational readiness.
