The Chairman of Access Holdings Plc, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, has declared that Africa can no longer afford mediocrity in leadership or economic decision-making, warning that the continent stands at a defining moment in a rapidly evolving global order.
Chairman of Access Holdings PLC
He made this known while speaking at a high-level engagement hosted by the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), where policymakers, financiers and private sector leaders gathered to examine Africa’s economic outlook and long-term development priorities.
There are no safety nets in this context. There is no big brother in this context, Aig-Imoukhuede said. “And therefore the issues of leadership – who leads, what decisions – we cannot afford anymore to default to the mediocre.”
According to him, Africa’s next growth phase will not happen by accident but must be driven by deliberate choices, disciplined governance and strategic investment in productive sectors.
I think really the key thing about vision is the attractiveness of it, he stated. “The scale of it always sounds big thereafter, but for me it never really started with ‘let’s build the biggest bank in Africa’ or anything like that. It was simply around a customer value proposition.”
Drawing lessons from countries such as Singapore that successfully transitioned from developing to advanced economies, he emphasised the central role of government in national transformation.
“When you speak about Singapore, when you speak about a lot of countries around the world that have made this move from either third world to first world … it can’t be done without government,” he said.
Warning that Africa is operating in an increasingly competitive and uncertain global environment, he urged leaders to act with urgency and clarity.
“If at any point in time, like Fela sang, the scales should fall off your eyes, now is that time,” he said. “We can’t make mistakes in this context.”
He further stressed that the continent must prioritise competence and courage in selecting leaders capable of navigating what he described as a “very challenging new world order.”
“For Africa, this is no time for subsidy, no time for mediocre, no time for second chance,” he added.
“We have to put our best leaders forward, we have to put our best feet forward and then go and fight like men in a very, very challenging new world order.”
The session, moderated by an AFC representative, formed part of broader discussions focused on infrastructure investment, institutional strength and strategies required to safeguard Africa’s long-term economic progress.
Participants at the forum included senior government officials, financial regulators, development finance leaders, institutional investors and chief executives from across the continent, reflecting growing urgency around coordinated public-private action to drive sustainable growth.