ABOUT YOU AS A FUTURES THINKER / PRACTITIONER

You identify yourself as an African futures thinker or practitioner. How would you describe to the woman or man on the street what it is that you do in this regard?

Someone with honesty and pride who does their best to create solutions and avert probable problems thereby creating a better future.

How many years have you worked as an African futures thinker / practitioner?

One year

In which countries or places have you had working experience as an African futures thinker / practitioner?

Nigeria / Benin

In what languages have you undertaken futures / foresight related work or research?

English

What is it that motivates you to work or participate in the foresight / future studies / related field

I love futuristic practices as it is part of my intrinsic power, I also love to monitor the current trends and prepare extensively for the future.

What goal/s would you most like to reach with your work as an African futures thinker / practitioner?

To create a tech atmosphere where we will be able to solve our problems and create sustainable solutions for development in Africa.

Who or what most influenced your thinking as a futures thinker / practitioner, and how?

Adeiye oluwaseun sobo of the Intentional Teachers Network. She creates safe spaces for teachers and trains them to be more, thereby preparing them for the future.

What is your main disciplinary background? (i.e. your primary training / qualification)

Electrical electronics engineering / data science and artificial intelligence.

How do other people describe you and how do you describe yourself?

Others describe me as... Innovative

I describe myself as... Go-getter

YOUR PERSPECTIVE

What is one of your favourite quotes about the future?

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” - Alvin Toffler

How would you describe the state of African futures thinking right now?

The level of futuristic thinking is quite low as our leaders hardly plan for the future and does not improve on sustainable models for development.

If you were to give advice to someone who wants a career in African foresight / future studies, what would you say to him or her?

The person should study the modalities involved in his country, especially the African culture, history, social cultural and social political learning that influenced thinking and planning.

They should develop resilience as change may not come immediately as expected.

What are your recommended readings for every African futures thinker / practitioner?

The Africa I Dream To See by Hammed Kayode ALABI
Long walk to freedom by Nelson Mandela
Rosewater by Tade Thompson

What are your recommendations for other favourite futures resources: websites, newsfeeds, mailing lists, associations, etc.?

www.egfar.org
Black in AI
Commonpurpose.org