In alignment with its mission to foster intellectual growth and interdisciplinary collaboration, Miva Open University is pleased to present another edition of its Academic Discourse Series with Paul Ehiagbonare.
This distinguished initiative remains central to our commitment to bridging academia and real-world practice. By convening thought leaders, professionals, and learners, the discourse creates a platform for meaningful dialogue, fresh insights, and forward-thinking solutions to today’s most pressing challenges.
As we host this session, we reaffirm our dedication to advancing knowledge, shaping perspectives, and empowering individuals to lead in an increasingly complex and technology-driven world.
Event Details
- Date: Thursday, 30th April
- Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (WAT)
- Host: Prof. Tayo Arulogun (Vice Chancellor, Miva Open University)
- Speaker: Paul Ehiagbonare (Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, uLesson Group)
- Topic:
The Last Analogue Generation: What Africa Must Build Before AI Builds Us - Registration Link: https://tinyurl.com/MivaDiscourseReg
About the Session
Africa is currently experiencing its second major technological leap within a single generation.
The first transition—from analogue to digital—enabled transformative innovations such as mobile money, digital banking, and connected commerce. The second shift—from digital to artificial intelligence—is unfolding at a much faster pace, with significantly higher stakes, on infrastructure largely not designed by us.
Drawing from nearly two decades of experience building digital infrastructure across telecommunications, banking, energy, and education, this discourse explores a critical question:
Will Africa shape the AI era or be shaped by it?
The session argues that Africa has a narrow window, approximately five to seven years, to build the essential foundations required to participate meaningfully in the AI-driven future.
It positions this generation as “the last analogue generation”—the final cohort with lived experience of building foundational systems and the first with the responsibility to ensure Africa’s active role in shaping what comes next.
About the Speaker
Paul Ehiagbonare is a technology and innovation executive with 19 years of experience building digital infrastructure, AI-powered products, and enterprise transformation programmes across Africa’s EdTech, telecoms, banking, fintech, and energy sectors.
He currently serves as Chief Technology & Innovation Officer at Miva Open University and The uLesson Group, one of Africa’s fastest-growing digital learning institutions, where he leads Technology, Engineering, IT, Product, R&D and AI. Before this, he served as Chief Digital Officer at Accion Microfinance Bank, where he drove the bank’s end-to-end digital transformation, accelerating financial inclusion, deepening digital adoption, and reshaping how underserved Nigerians access financial services.
His earlier career includes leading roles as Head of Digital Banking and Online Channels at 9 Payment Service Bank (9PSB), where he was central to the bank’s digital-first rollout, and as AGM & Head of Business Innovation and Transformation at Ikeja Electric, where he spearheaded enterprise-wide digital change at one of Nigeria’s largest power distribution companies.
Paul Ehiagbonare has also held product, payments, marketing, and platform roles at 9mobile, Etisalat, Globacom, and Es Solo, a global payments firm where he oversaw multi-country platform integration across the United States, Latin America, and Africa.
Paul holds a Master’s in Information Technology from the University of Lagos and an MBA from the University of East London, alongside AI and machine learning certifications from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), design thinking credentials from the Interaction Design Foundation, and recognition as a Microsoft Certified Professional and Certified Scrum Product Owner. He is also recognised by the African Leadership Development Centre, Covenant University, with a certificate in leadership development.
He is the author of two books: The AI Playbook for Business Leaders, a practitioner’s guide to navigating AI-powered business transformation, and Alignment, a faith-informed exploration of purpose, identity, and intentional living. His work and leadership have been recognised in a CIO Africa magazine cover feature, as well as multiple awards for innovation and operational excellence.
Paul Ehiagbonare is a mentor with the Tony Elumelu Foundation and the NigComSat Accelerator Programme, where he supports early-stage founders in scaling their ventures. He is based in Abuja, Nigeria.