A former President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has urged African leaders to prioritise industrialisation, technological innovation and ethical leadership to strengthen the continent’s competitiveness in the global economy.

Adesina said Africa must move beyond exporting raw materials to processing its resources, manufacturing goods and building globally competitive industries.

He made the call on Saturday while delivering a keynote address titled, “Africa’s Next Leap: Visionary and Ethical Leadership for an Integrated and Prosperous Africa in the Global Economy,” at the BPI Iconic Awards in Johannesburg, South Africa.

In a statement issued by his media team on Sunday, Adesina said the continent’s youthful population, natural resources and expanding markets could drive economic growth if properly harnessed.

“Africa’s greatest asset is its people,” he said, stressing the need to equip young people with relevant education, technical skills and opportunities to create businesses and jobs.

He urged African governments, universities and vocational institutions to prepare young people not only to use emerging technologies but also to develop them.

“Artificial intelligence, robotics, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, cybersecurity and data science are areas in which African talent should build capacity and compete,” he said.

On continental integration, Adesina described the African Continental Free Trade Area as more than a trade agreement, saying it could provide a platform for industrial growth by connecting markets, attracting investment and enabling African companies to compete globally.

He said countries should combine their strengths in minerals, energy, processing and manufacturing to establish complementary production networks.

“The success of integration should be judged by the products and companies Africa creates, the value it retains and the competitiveness it achieves in global markets,” he said.

Adesina cited Nigeria’s $20bn Dangote Refinery as an example of the scale of industrial investment possible in Africa, urging countries to develop more industrial champions in automobile manufacturing, electric vehicles, batteries, steel, pharmaceuticals, food processing and technology.

“Africa must move further along resource value chains—from extraction to processing, refining, manufacturing, research and innovation—rather than remain primarily a supplier of raw materials,” he said.

He also called for increased investment in universities, laboratories, computing infrastructure and industrial ecosystems to enable Africa to participate in the global development of advanced technologies.

However, the former AfDB president stressed that industrialisation and technological advancement must be supported by ethical leadership and strong institutions.

He said transparency, accountability and due process should guide decisions on public finances, infrastructure projects, mining agreements and strategic partnerships.

“The national interest must stand above all other interests,” Adesina said, urging leaders to prioritise decisions that expand opportunities and create lasting value for future generations.

He said Africa’s next phase of development would depend on governments investing in people, building competitive industries, supporting entrepreneurs and strengthening institutions that citizens could trust.