Innovate Africa Conference 2025: Kennedy Nnadi Champions Sustainable Infrastructure Roadmaps
By Ugo Aliogo
The Innovate Africa Conference 2025, held at the ECOWAS Center in Abuja, brought together leaders, innovators, and stakeholders from across the continent. It was to stimulate dialogue, forge partnerships, and translate ideas into tangible actions across sectors such as
digital innovation, economic diversification, creative tourism, health, and security. The conference aims to celebrate African excellence, amplify local innovation, and inspire transformation from within.
Among the key speakers was the CEO of Pennek USA and Nigeria, Dr. Kennedy Nnadi, nation builder, TEDx speaker, and recipient of the U.S. President Lifetime Achievement Award.
He delivered a compelling session on the importance of sustainable infrastructure roadmaps for Africa. “One thing I always stress is the need for sustainable roadmaps in Africa. Infrastructure cannot rely on short-term leadership; every transition of power must build on a clear, actionable plan that ensures continuity and lasting progress,” says Nnadi.
He emphasised that true development is achieved when systems outlive individuals. “True nation-building goes beyond projects or personal ambition. It requires systems that outlive individuals, enabling successive leaders to execute, improve, and sustain long-term visions for development and growth,” he added.
Nnadi further stressed the role of strategic planning in unlocking Africa’s potential. “Africa has immense potential, but without strategic planning, our resources and creativity cannot translate into meaningful progress. Leaders must prioritise continuity, accountability, and a roadmap that guides every decision toward shared prosperity,” he said.
His insights reinforced the conference’s central message that sustainable development and long-term growth require deliberate, actionable strategies that survive political transitions.
The conference also featured keynote speeches by the Minister of the Federal
Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the former President of the Pharmaceutical Society
of Nigeria (PSN) and Founder of the New Nigeria Group, Sam Ohuabunwa.
Wike called for a shift from
transactional to transformational leadership, urging African leaders to move beyond patronage-based governance toward visionary and accountable leadership. “Africa stands at a historic crossroads. We are blessed with immense natural wealth, youthful energy, and creativity, yet we face weak institutions, infrastructural decay, poverty, and unemployment.
“How can a continent so richly endowed remain so constrained?” Wike interrogated, highlighting the urgent need for systemic reform.
Ohuabunwa echoed the call for leadership transformation, warning that political power in many African nations is often captured through loyalty or financial support rather
than competence and character.
He advocated a transformation of political structures to promote inclusivity, innovation, and investment. Key reforms he suggested include decentralisation, merit-based governance, youth empowerment, and strict enforcement of term limits to ensure leaders are accountable and visionary.
The co-founder of Innovate Africa, Uloma Onyebuchi, described the conference as a movement dedicated to celebrating African excellence, amplifying local innovation, and inspiring transformation from within.
She noted that governance that inspires trust, leadership that empowers communities, and technology that connects citizens are critical to Africa’s growth.
