AI in the boardroom: From slogans to controls — As we look into 2026
“Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it.” — Akan proverb, Ghana
Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic fancy. Across Nigeria, banks are testing chatbots, retailers are trialling predictive inventory, and farms are using algorithms to forecast yield. The language of AI has arrived, but the deeper question is this: who is responsible for stewarding it wisely?
For large corporations, answers are emerging. Risk committees are drafting AI policies, internal auditors are interrogating vendors, and boards are beginning to treat AI as a governance issue. But for Nigeria’s small and medium enterprises — which make up more than 80 per cent of the economy — the story is less certain.
Most SMEs are family-owned or founder-driven. The managing director is often a strategist, HR manager, and financial controller all at once. In such settings, the proverb of the baobab feels painfully true: the weight of AI decisions — from customer data protection to chatbot deployment — is often carried by one person alone. And no matter how brilliant the founder, the wisdom that vast cannot be embraced by one pair of arms.
Why this gap matters
The risks of AI are real. A flawed CV-screening tool can entrench bias. A logistics start-up that mishandles customer data can breach the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA 2023). An ill-timed chatbot response can damage customer trust overnight. Unlike big corporations with layers of defence, SMEs operate on thin reputational margins — one mistake can sink the business.
Research underscores this. A 2024 survey of Nigerian SMEs found that while awareness of AI tools was moderate, actual adoption was still low — and largely unstructured. Another pan-African study warned that without governance, AI deployment could widen rather than narrow competitiveness gaps for local firms. Put plainly, SMEs risk being left behind if they do nothing and exposed if they adopt AI recklessly.
The practical path forward
So what can SMEs do as 2026 beckons? The answer is not to wait until a crisis exposes the gaps, mistakes become too costly to ignore, or market realities leave them behind. Instead, founders must take simple but deliberate steps:
Form an advisory circle: If you lack a formal board, assemble two or three trusted outsiders — a lawyer, accountant, or industry peer — to review technology decisions. Collective wisdom is cheaper than crisis recovery.
“For large corporations, answers are emerging. Risk committees are drafting AI policies, internal auditors are interrogating vendors, and boards are beginning to treat AI as a governance issue.”
Draft a one-page AI policy: Clarify what data you can collect, how you will use AI, who approves adoption, and how to test outputs for fairness. A page of clarity is better than silence.
Audit your vendors: Most SMEs will not build AI themselves. Ask: Where is my data stored? What happens if there’s a breach? Who owns the outputs?
Train your staff: Even the smartest chatbot fails if employees don’t know when to intervene. Make sure AI augments, not replaces, human judgement.
Budget for compliance: Just as you budget for rent or diesel, allocate funds for data protection, ethics reviews, and training.
From slogans to stewardship
The proverb reminds us that no individual can carry the baobab of wisdom. AI stewardship in Nigeria cannot rest on lone founders making gut decisions. It must be collective — whether through advisory boards, sector associations, or shared industry standards.
As 2026 approaches, SMEs have a choice. They can treat AI as a slogan — a shiny buzzword sprinkled across pitch decks — or they can treat it as a discipline, with controls, boundaries, and accountability. The first path courts fragility. The second builds resilience.
A call to action
AI is not tomorrow’s story; it is today’s reality. Nigerian SMEs cannot afford to be passive or careless. Every founder must ask before January: What guardrails have I put in place? Who shares the weight of this decision with me? How will I ensure AI strengthens, not weakens, my business?
The baobab of wisdom is too large for one person. As we look into 2026, the SMEs that thrive will be those that embrace AI not as hype, but as a responsibility carried together.
Dr. Olufemi Ogunlowo is the CEO of Strategic Outsourcing Limited, a leading provider of personnel and business process outsourcing services in Nigeria. He is also a regular columnist on employment and workforce strategy.
