Business leaders are being asked to stop adopting artificial intelligence just because it’s trendy, and instead deploy it to solve real business problems that can reduce costs and increase revenue.
The call was made at a symposium organized by the Department of Marketing and Consumer Research held at the Kessington Adebukunola Adebutu Foundation Auditorium, University of Ibadan on Thursday.
The symposium brought together academics, students, policy makers, and industry stakeholders under the theme “Using AI to Survive and Expand Businesses in the Knowledge Economy.”
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, while opening the symposium, said technology alone cannot guarantee business success. He emphasized that organizations that can combine AI with human empathy, creativity and sound judgment will enjoy a sustainable competitive advantage.
He says the real winners in the AI era will be those who understand when to automate processes and when human intervention is still essential. He also highlighted ethical concerns surrounding the implementation of AI in Nigeria and called for strengthening digital infrastructure to realize the full potential of the technology.
Building on the theme of purposeful AI deployment, Obinna Nweke, Chief Executive Officer of BeamX Solutions Ltd, said during her keynote address that many organizations mistakenly treat business survival and business expansion as the same objective.
“Survival is about protection. Survival is about cost, speed and not dying. Expansion is about growth,” he said.
Nweke referenced the July 2025 MIT Project NANDA report *The GenAI Divide*, which found that despite corporate investments in generative AI of $30 billion to $40 billion, approximately 95% of organizations do not record a measurable impact on their bottom line.
He argued that the challenge lies not in the technology itself, but in the way organizations approach its implementation.
“AI should not be the starting point. The problem is business,” he said.
Before considering an AI solution, Nweke advised organizations to first identify what generates revenue, what generates costs, and where customers are experiencing friction. He said companies should experiment creatively, measure results, and only scale up initiatives that deliver measurable value.
He also urged organizations to tap into children’s curiosity and embrace innovation.
“Like a child on the playground, you should be wide-eyed, creative and open to new ideas,” he said.
Nweke warned against reducing the adoption of AI, creating AI-generated promotional flyers and introducing chatbots just because of its popularity.
According to him, general purpose AI models often fail due to a lack of business-specific local context.
“Foreign models know nothing about how customers in one region behave differently than customers in another region. No amount of raw intelligence can close that gap on its own,” he pointed out.
To address this challenge, Nweke introduced the Guided Decision Intelligence Framework, which he described as a structured approach that allows organizations to provide unique business knowledge to AI systems, rather than relying on generic models to make assumptions.
He concluded by encouraging business leaders to delegate greater responsibility to young, AI-native professionals.
“Delegate some of your authority to them and protect them when they fail. That gives them the courage to invent,” he said.
The second keynote speaker, Dr. Oladipupo Sennaike, Chief Executive Officer of Cynergy Solutions Ltd, urged participants to expand their understanding of artificial intelligence.
He pointed out that AI extends far beyond chatbots such as ChatGPT and Gemini, encompassing voice recognition, prediction, pattern recognition, decision-making, automation, and machine learning.
The symposium also featured a panel discussion with Dr. Ayo Awosika, General Manager (Commercial), UAC Foods; Victoria Ajiboye, founder of Vickajiboye Media; Seun Osuntoki, Head of Engineering, Main Stack. and Oyo State Small and Medium Enterprise Consultant, Mr. Oladayo Bello.
The Oyo State Secretary for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Ojo Ademola Obafemi, was the guest of honour. Dr. Samuel Orekoya, Dean of the Faculty of Marketing and Consumer Studies, was the host and Professor AO Folawewo, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, was the chief host.
Awards were presented to the Vice-Chancellor, keynote speakers, and panelists, and our department’s graduate and undergraduate students volunteered throughout the event.
