Abuja, January 2026: Nigerian leaders and CEOs have been told that technology is no longer a line item but a governance mandate.
In a statement on www.texem.co.uk, a leadership development expert, Caroline Lucas who is also Director Special Projects at TEXEM, United Kingdom said modern realities called for a change in narratives.
Lucas said this is a time when the Nigerian business landscape is defined not just by its immense potential, but by a velocity of change that often outpaces the traditional frameworks.
She said the fundamental challenge for the modern Nigerian executive is no longer about whether to adopt AI, blockchain, or high-speed data analytics.
“The challenge lies in how you govern judgment, risk, and accountability in an era where data moves significantly faster than policy.
“For years, leadership summits in the country are focused on “Digital Transformation” and the “Adoption of Technology.”
“We treated technology as a vertical—a department to be funded or a tool to be deployed. Today, I submit to you that those days are over,” Lucas said.
She said there is need for a shift from tool to governance adding that when many speak of governance, they often think of compliance, boards, and audits.
However, the TEXEM Director affirmed that in a disruptive environment, governance must evolve into a strategic capability.
While identifying what she called “The Velocity Gap” Lucas noted that in Nigeria, as in the rest of the world, innovation moves at an exponential rate, while policy—both corporate and national—often moves at a linear, bureaucratic pace.
Also pointing out “the Judgment Paradox”, the TEXEM Director said when algorithms can predict consumer behavior or creditworthiness in milliseconds, the executive’s role shifts from “data processor” to “ethical arbiter.”
“We are now tasked with governing the assumptions baked into our systems.
“Also, if an automated system leads to a significant financial loss or a breach of trust, “the algorithm did it” is not a valid leadership defense.
Accountability cannot be outsourced to code,” she said.
Lucas said influence is no longer about power but about building the trust necessary to lead people through the unknown.
“The future of Nigerian enterprise depends on leaders who realize that while data provides the speed, it is human judgment that provides the direction.
“Let us stop managing technology and start governing the future it creates,” she said.
Lucas announced that in February, TEXEM will be hosting a virtual programme for Nigerian and African leaders in this regard.
She said the programme titled, Leading through Disruption: Strategy, Agility and Influence will bring together internationally reputable TEXEM faculty expected to deliver it, using TEXEM’s well known methodology.
The faculty include Prof. Nicholas Cheeseman, Prof. Neal Hartman and Graham Stuart, MP
Cheeseman is a leading scholar of good governance and accountability and former don at the University of Oxford.
Hartman is a Senior Lecturer in Managerial Communication at the MIT Sloan School of Management. His teaching of management communication and intercultural communication emphasises working in teams, conflict and conflict resolution, leadership, and cross-cultural communication.
Stuart is a British Conservative Party politician and businessman who has served as the Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness since 2005.
He previously served in various ministerial positions under Prime Ministers Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak between 2018 and 2024.
The cost of the programmes is, £2,000, with £1,750 discount and £1,500 early bird by January 15.
Designed for the time-pressed executive, the programme blends one hour of focused self-study each day with high-impact live sessions across three Saturdays.
It is gamified to sharpen thinking, accelerate action, and make the experience engaging, inspiring, practical, memorable, and genuinely enjoyable.
For further details on the programme, participants are expected to click on the link:
https://texem.co.uk/leading-through-disruption-strategy-agility-and-influence/
