Industries around the world are facing a paradox: talent shortages in key sectors and rising unemployment in others. Developed nations struggle with ageing populations, while emerging markets grapple with youth unemployment. Artificial Intelligence is seen as a potential solution, improving productivity and job matching, but concerns remain about if it can be sustainable and inclusive. Across industries, employers are having trouble finding the necessary talent at the right time, while millions remain underemployed or excluded. AI also risks displacing jobs, reinforcing bias, and widening inequality, benefiting developed nations and large firms over small businesses and developing economies. The challenge is ensuring AI addresses labour gaps ethically, inclusively, and in ways that strengthen the global workforce. ManpowerGroup’s 2025 Talent Shortage report reveals that for the first time in 10 years, businesses are reporting a decrease in skills shortages, with 76 per cent of employers reporting difficulty in filling roles due to a lack of skilled talent. The challenge is structural, affecting healthcare, logistics, engineering, and fast-growing digital fields. The global talent crunch is driven by converging forces: skills mismatches as qualifications are becoming irrelevant in evolving market demands, demographic shifts such as ageing populations in developed nations and youth unemployment in emerging economies, changing worker expectations: the desire for flexibility, purpose, and personal growth and the rapid technological disruption transforming job requirements. As companies scramble to keep pace with rapid change, the demand for future-ready talent is quickly outstripping the capacity of traditional education and workforce development models. What’s needed is investing in lifelong, modular learning that evolves with market needs; leveraging AI to enable dynamic skills mapping and personalised upskilling; strengthening partnerships between industry, education, and government; and expanding access to non-traditional and underrepresented talent pools. Ultimately, solving the talent crunch requires reshaping workforce systems for the jobs of tomorrow. AI is emerging as a transformative solution to global workforce challenges, offering tools to match, upskill, and mobilise talent. Beyond automating routine tasks, AI enables intelligent talent matching by analysing vast data on candidates, job descriptions, labour trends, and hiring outcomes. It considers hard skills, transferable capabilities, learning agility, and values alignment to deliver more inclusive and efficient hiring. However, this potential requires transparent implementation, bias audits, and integration into human-centred strategies to enhance, not replace, human judgment. AI also revolutionises personalised upskilling. Traditional one-size-fits-all training no longer meets evolving industry demands. AI-powered learning platforms assess current competencies, identify skill gaps, and deliver adaptive, modular content aligned with individual goals and shifting job requirements. This approach benefits employers by developing internal talent pipelines, reducing reliance on external recruitment, and increasing workforce agility. For employees, especially underrepresented groups, it democratises lifelong learning by making reskilling affordable, flexible, and accessible beyond traditional education barriers. At scale, personalised upskilling fosters resilience, adaptability, and career confidence amid disruption. Workforce planning and predictive insights represent another critical application. AI leverages predictive analytics to model workforce trends, aligning talent supply with future demand, mitigating economic shocks, and strengthening labour market resilience. By analysing technology adoption, demographic shifts, and economic indicators, AI anticipates emerging skill needs, guiding long-term talent strategies. Policymakers and educators can also use these insights to redesign curricula, improve vocational training, and target upskilling programmes for vulnerable populations. Healthcare exemplifies how predictive AI can avert crises by forecasting regional shortages of medical professionals, enabling proactive interventions like expanding training capacity or adjusting immigration policies. Similarly, sectors like manufacturing, logistics, energy, and public services can prepare for automation, sustainability transitions, or large-scale retirements through targeted retraining and recruitment strategies. Economically, AI-driven workforce planning reduces unemployment and job vacancies while supporting sustainable growth. Socially, it creates more equitable opportunities by helping workers prepare for future changes. However, ethical deployment is essential, with safeguards for transparency, fairness, data privacy, and bias mitigation. Ultimately, AI-powered talent matching, personalised upskilling, and predictive workforce planning shift decision-making from reactive to proactive. By combining technology with inclusive strategies, AI can build a more adaptable, equitable, and future-ready global workforce Artificial Intelligence holds great potential but is not a universal solution, and overreliance poses serious risks. Bias in training data can replicate or worsen inequalities, leading to discriminatory hiring and further marginalising disadvantaged workers. Automation threatens routine and lower-skilled roles, often without generating enough alternative employment. Additionally, digital divides exclude those lacking access, connectivity, or necessary digital skills. While AI can help address labour gaps, it may also deepen social and economic inequality unless equity, transparency, and fairness are intentionally built into its design, deployment, and workforce integration strategies. A sustainable AI talent strategy must prioritise people over technology, using AI to enhance human creativity, problem-solving, and decision-making rather than simply replacing jobs. Organisations should invest in tools that foster employee growth, engagement, and continuous learning. Equally vital is building inclusive AI ecosystems through collaboration between developers, HR leaders, and policymakers. This means ensuring AI systems are transparent, explainable, and fair by auditing algorithms for bias, protecting worker data, and making tools accessible across different languages, abilities, and education levels. Addressing the digital divide is crucial, requiring joint efforts from governments and organisations to expand access to infrastructure, education, and upskilling, particularly in underserved communities. AI can also support flexible work models: remote, hybrid, or gig-based, broadening access to talent and accommodating diverse needs. However, such flexibility must come with fair pay, safe conditions, and career growth for all workers. Ultimately, a sustainable AI workforce strategy balances technology, equity, and human potential. AI is a powerful tool, but cannot solve global workforce challenges alone, as talent shortages stem from human challenges of education, inclusion, access and opportunity. A sustainable solution requires integrating AI into a broader strategy for human capital development that prioritises equity, adaptability, and dignity at work. When used responsibly, AI can shift us from scarcity, unfilled roles and disengaged workers to alignment, where everyone has the skills, tools, and support to contribute meaningfully to the economy. Alika is an experienced human resources and business strategy professional

If any individual embodies sustained excellence in Nigeria’s healthcare, business, public service, opinion and thought leadership, it is Prince Julius Adewale Adelusi-Adeluyi, the man affectionately referred to across generations as My Lord, Pharmaceuticals. As he turns 85 on August 2, 2025, Nigeria pauses to honour a man who has remained a steady flame of integrity, versatility, and national consciousness for over six decades. He is more than a pharmacist. More than a lawyer. More than an opinion moulder. More than a businessman. Prince Juli, as he is fondly known, is a national institution, a conscience in white apparel, a visionary who lives simply but thinks deeply about the challenges and possibilities of our nation. We have so many things to say and celebrate about him: A mind forged by curiosity, guided by purpose: Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi was born into royalty in Ado-Ekiti in 1940, but he chose the path of knowledge and service, not privilege. His brilliance became evident from his teenage years. At Aquinas College, Akure, he completed his secondary education ahead of his peers and emerged with a Grade One certificate and five distinctions, securing both federal and Western Region scholarships for his Advanced Level studies. In 1965, he graduated from the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) as one of Nigeria’s first set of Pharmacy graduates. That alone was a pioneering achievement. But for Prince Juli, the thirst for excellence is unending. In 1987, at the age of 47, he stunned the nation when he emerged as the best overall graduating student at the Nigerian Law School, proving once again that discipline and vision know no age or limitation. Today, he has published over 40 articles and policy papers across the fields of Pharmacy, Law, Health Policy, and Education. His intellectual curiosity is boundless; his mental acuity remains sharp, even at 85. Leadership on every stage: Prince Juli’s journey is a study in transformational leadership, leadership that doesn’t shout, but shapes destinies. He started early, becoming: President of the Pharmacy Students Association at the University of Ife, Vice President of the National Union of Nigerian Students  in charge of International Affairs, Secretary for Africa of the World Student Movement in the 1960s. His influence extended beyond borders. As Secretary-General of the World Student Movement, he led a delegation of African students to Nigeria during the civil war, holding talks with then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, a testament to his diplomatic tact and visionary clarity. In professional circles, Prince Juli has worn many caps, each with distinction: Secretary and later President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria; Founding Secretary-General of the West African Pharmaceutical Federation (now WAPCP); Founding President of the Nigerian Academy of Pharmacy; Composer of the Pharmacy Anthem still sung with pride today. His tenure at PSN was particularly impactful. He redefined the role of professional associations, making the PSN not only a community of pharmacists but a thought-leadership platform for healthcare advocacy and professional ethics. In 1993, he made history as the first and only pharmacist to serve as Minister for Health and Social Services in Nigeria. His tenure, though brief, remains a reference point for intelligent policy direction and professional decorum in governance. A career built on enterprise and integrity: In 1968, after a stellar early career with Pfizer as an Assistant General Manager, Prince Juli struck out on his own. By 1971, he had founded Juli Pharmacy Nigeria Limited, which later became Juli Pharmacy Plc, the first indigenous pharmaceutical company to be quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Juli Pharmacy was more than a company; it was a bold declaration that Nigerians can build world-class enterprises without cutting corners. Under his watch, Juli Pharmacy won the President’s Merit Award of the NSE in 1997 and 2004, and set new standards in ethical marketing, quality assurance, and local investment. He is not just a businessman. He is a builder of institutions. The conscience of a nation: Prince Juli’s philosophy of life is captured in his favourite Yoruba expression: “Mi ò yó, ṣùgbọ́n ebi ò pa mí”— “I’m not full, but I’m not hungry.” It reflects a life of balance, contentment, and principled living. Yet, beneath his elegant simplicity lies a restless soul—restless not for self, but for Nigeria’s unrealised greatness. At 85, his concerns remain urgent and sincere: That Nigeria remains rich in resources but poor in results. That millions of youths roam the streets without jobs or hope. That the pharmacy profession, despite its potential, is yet to be fully mainstreamed into public health policy. That drug distribution remains disorganised, with public safety at risk. That corruption continues to eclipse competence. These are not just passing worries. They are the pillars of his continued advocacy, the driving force behind his vision for the Nigerian Academy of Pharmacy as a hub for policy reform, innovation, and ethical rebirth. Prince Juli is not the one to give up on these issues and he will often admonish us: “Focus on your focus and you will become the focus”, a piece of advice that many of us have kept close to our hearts. The man beyond the titles: To meet Prince Juli is to encounter humility wrapped in nobility. Clad often in immaculate white, he is calm, articulate, reflective, and deeply spiritual. He is a devout Catholic, happily married to Princess Julia, and blessed with accomplished children, one of whom is also a pharmacist. He is multilingual, fluent in Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Latin, Spanish, and German. He is a songwriter, painter, public speaker, and passionate Rotarian. As Nigeria’s first Rotary District Governor, his service in 1984 led to the creation of a new district due to his expansion efforts. His installation was attended by Vice President Dr. Alex Ekwueme on behalf of President Shehu Shagari—a testament to his national stature. He has chaired and served on numerous boards: MTN Foundation, Odu’a Investment Ltd., University of Ibadan Council, Nigerian Conservation Foundation, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, National Council for Population and Environmental Activities, Alumni Association of NIPSS, among others. His door remains open to all: ministers and market women, policymakers and students. His office is a sanctuary of wisdom, comfort, and courage. How do you celebrate a man like this? At 85, what gift is worthy of such a man? Not plaques. Not grand parties. But a recommitment to the ideals he lives by. We must all strive for: Excellence in our professions, not shortcuts. Service to community, not selfish ambition. Courage in leadership, not opportunism. Empowerment of the youth, not indifference. To Nigeria’s pharmacists, let this milestone reawaken our pursuit of relevance and public trust. To those in public service, let it serve as a reminder that integrity is not outdated. To our youths, let it spark hope that a life of purpose is still possible. A national treasure still shining Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi is not just a man to be celebrated. He is a national compass. A symbol of what Nigeria can become if excellence meets integrity, and vision meets responsibility. At 85, he is still writing, mentoring, advising, building. He remains a mentor, a mobiliser, a moral voice, and a silent reformer. A pharmacist, a barrister, a minister, a builder, a servant-leader. He is our timeless standard of excellence. Happy 85th Birthday, My Lord Pharmaceutical. Nigeria salutes you. History will remember you for good.

Future historians of this period will one day note that the 2027 presidential election was one of the most remarkable in our national history, as it was the first campaign to begin even before the 2023 election was properly concluded. We know that in Africa, time ordinarily orbits around elections and electioneering. Since elections are the means to capture power—which is all about allocating resources anyway—all of our being cannot but revolve around the coming election. It is through the outcomes of elections that the worth of our respective tribal collectives is calibrated, and that is why we always fight to the finish. We often think of victory as a zero-sum game, even though past realities have repeatedly shown us that such victories rarely result in any meaningful difference in our lives. Following the outcome of the 2023 elections in Lagos State, its politicians began preparing for a possible repeat in 2027. However, they are not doing so by courting voters through improvements in their lives. They are instead stoking the emotional politics of revanchism. The latest controversy is the outgoing Chairman of Bariga LCDA, Kolade David, who announced the renaming of some public landmarks (some of which are named after Igbos) after Yoruba people. The import was, of course, to erase the legacy and public memory of people like Charles Oputa, the artiste popularly known as Charly Boy. But it is not just “Charly Boy” as a generic Igbo man, but Charly Boy as a hyper-visible and contrarian figure; Charly Boy specifically as a critic of APC politicians and their coterie of brownnosers. For the self-commissioned censors of political expression like David, the APC has become synonymous with Yoruba identity and non-Yorubas must either “put up or shut up”. But if David truly wanted to honour the “people who have put the name of our local council out on the global map through their respective God-given talents and craft”, as he stated at the event where he renamed those landmarks, could he also not have done so without dragging those people into the murky pit of his petty politics? By renaming the popular Charly Boy Bus Stop after the singer and rapper Olamide Adedeji (Baddo), he managed to achieve three things. One, he put Olamide in an unenviable position, where he can neither publicly accept nor reject a gift given in bad faith. Turning him into a mere substitute for the person you dislike is not honour. Rather than recognising Olamide on the strength of his contributions to his birthplace, they are drafting the social capital he has accrued to overwrite the legacy of a critic. Two, the substantial backlash that David’s little scheme of ethnic baiting generated should tell him that people are more likely to double down on calling the bus stop its original name. Names of places and landmarks grow organically around people’s lived experiences and cannot be easily swiped off through some administrative fiat. Three, this “honour to dishonour” move devalues Lagos as a cosmopolitan city that pulsates with the energy of its diverse populations. You can fight it all you like, but Lagos is only Lagos because of the creative tensions generated when people of diverse energies are thrown together in a space. But it would be naïve to think that Olamide is the only one being dragged into the sewer of this primal politics. One way or another, we are all being conscripted into a political formation that requires us to tribalise and wage a battle that distracts us from larger leadership failures. We have seen this movie before; we know how the plot unfolds. Given how Nigerians are aggravated by the hardships and the harsh hopes they have suffered through 16 years of the PDP and 10 years of the APC, they are understandably strained. The various economic constraints we have endured have severely tensed up everyone’s nervous systems, making already frustrated people hypersensitive. How else do you address the insecurities of your political base and redirect their frustrations away from you? You invent a common enemy and invite those within your ranks to bury their hatchet in its head. The tensions that follow such machination will generate a wellspring of sentiment to be resourcefully siphoned come next election. It is an old and dirty trick, and its deployment now is only remarkable because the 2027 electioneering started too soon. Several people in Lagos and the surrounding states are getting caught up in the sentiment of a politics that has nothing to do with improving their lives. They think they are being protective of their territories, and that this sort of revanchism is a must because liberalism makes one a dupe of intolerant others. But how far and how well has this politics worked for us? In what way have any of these shenanigans improved our lives? In situations like this, I remind people of Idi Amin’s Uganda, where Indians were kicked out because they held disproportionate economic power. Go to Uganda today, and you will not only still find those South Asians but even East Asians holding sway in their commercial sector. The irony of it all makes me wonder: if they had worked through their mutual fears, insecurities, and bigotry to cooperate instead of sending them away in 1972, would they not have built a greater and more prosperous country by now? Look at all the time and effort they wasted to arrive where they started. Does erasing others help us shine, or do we end up merely corroded by the negativity? Yes, we now live in a world that derides diversity, construes liberalism as a woke disease of the weak, and vehemently insists that openness to differences is naivete. All these are familiar troubles, and they recur because they are emotive issues. In societies yet to develop the competence to savvily manage differences, the issues can become a matter of life and death for the parties involved. We must not continue like this; we must move to that last stop where we no longer expend the valuable resource of time stoking the tensions that avidly consume our energy but yield no productive value. Of all the arguments I have heard about the issue of indigenous and collective ownership of Lagos, the two that stand out to me are those that highlight the differentials in interpretation by those who either want to heighten conflict or douse it. One, no human habitation is ever a “no man’s land”, but there are places in the world on which various peoples lay claim because they are joint contributors to its character and wealth. Cities like New York, London, and Singapore have become a collective heritage due to—not despite—the activities of their diverse populations; asserting a tribal domination will impoverish them. Two, claiming “we built Lagos” is part of what people say to inscribe their socio-economic relevance wherever they occupy. When Black people say their slave labour made America, or immigrants say they built the USA, it does not mean other races or non-immigrants had no part. The statement is no more preposterous than Bola Tinubu (also a non-indigene) being labelled as the “builder of Lagos”. If we must choose between ascribing that honour to either one man who uses it to gain political mileage or diverse groups of people who want an acknowledgement of their part in making a place what it is, please know I will always choose the latter.

When, about one year ago, the Jigawa State Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Europa Carbon, a carbon advisory and trading firm with operations in Nigeria and Canada, one could not help but celebrate the niche value of such a green milestone. The governor, Mallam Umar Namadi, said the MoU was a cornerstone of the state government’s agenda to reduce carbon emissions, enhance climatic resilience and promote sustainable development, as clean energy would be generated to support agricultural and industrial activities in the state. “Jigawa will be one of the first states in Nigeria to generate carbon credits, and we are committed to helping the state achieve this goal in partnership with the Ministry of Environment. First of all, it is to mitigate the carbon emissions that are currently happening within the state. Secondly, to create jobs for the teaming youths in the state and, thirdly, to generate revenue for the state,” he said. At that time, I was particularly enthused because I was acutely aware of developments in Jigawa’s environmental scene. For instance, in 2022, not up to one month after the commemoration of the International Day of Forests on March 21, a 25-year-old man of Taura Local Government Area stabbed his brother to death over firewood – he went to his brother’s farmland and cut firewood without his consent. Just like in the other frontline states of Northern Nigeria, deforestation is a central problem for Jigawa. Wood is a scarce resource, and as desertification and deforestation intensify, it is becoming more unaffordable. To me, that Jigawa firewood murder was a sign that the struggle against climate change was now a mortal combat, and I discussed it in this column in the article entitled, ‘Jigawa firewood murder, sign of things to come’. Nigeria’s forest area has been on a continuous decline from 10 to less than eight per cent, indicating that about 400,000 hectares of forest are lost yearly through human activities and other practices that are unsustainable. Hence, the need to incorporate carbon trading into afforestation and reforestation efforts, especially in Northern Nigeria. Therefore, I saw the Jigawa State/Europa Carbon partnership as strategic and forward-thinking. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Least Developed Countries have significant untapped potential for climate action in sectors like forestry and agriculture, which offer promising opportunities for generating carbon credits. This potential could equal 70 per cent of the CO2 emissions from the global aviation industry, or about two per cent of total global emissions. Currently, LDCs are only utilising about two per cent of this potential. Jigawa State is among the 11 frontline states of Nigeria’s Great Green Wall initiative, established to address land degradation and desertification, boost food security and support communities to adapt to climate change in Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, Borno and Adamawa. Further to the strategic importance of the state, aside from the normal operation of the Great Green Wall activities, projects like the Action Against Desertification were all executed in Jigawa State. Though there is nothing particularly new about Governor Namadi’s carbon market move. Lagos State has also initiated a robust carbon finance mechanism to generate carbon credits under the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism, distributing green wealth to its citizens. The real green magic happening in Jigawa State is not easy to see because it is ensconced in the bureaucratic space, which in the real sense is where power abides. As a green industry watcher, I had detachedly reviewed Namadi’s carbon emissions trading investment to ascertain the overall impact on Jigawa’s eco-scene. After all, the state is known for its decades-long imprints on the nation’s ecological sector, starting from biotech-award-winning Governor Saminu Turaki and climaxing under the defiantly green Sule Lamido. The Alternative Energy Agency, under the supervision of the state Ministry of Power and Energy, is the engine room of green energy development in the state. The agency was established in 2003 under Saminu Turaki and was able to electrify about four villages in partnership with JICA, the Japanese international development agency and a private firm.  Then, during Sule Lamido, it electrified about 26 villages. Instructively, from 2015 to 2023, the agency was not able to electrify any village because its budget was less than N50m. But after the advent of the current administration, the rural green energy electrification restarted. This is because in 2023, the budget skyrocketed from less than N50m to about N2.3bn. That is almost a 500 per cent increase. Hence, not only was the agency able to electrify two villages, including micro-enterprise shops, but it also introduced the electrification of Sangya/Almajiri schools. It also expanded to green energy installations in semi-urban towns, that is, towns that are not rural but not urban cities, and the fabrication of 10,000 clean cook stoves. I am convinced that our government and political leaders have not scratched the surface in leveraging the environmental sector for job creation and sustainable development. Nigeria’s population has exploded in the last century, from 36.7 million in 1950 to 158.3 million in 2010, according to data from the United Nations. But job creation has not kept pace with the population increase, forcing people to choose between forests and their families. They cut the trees, poach the animals, sell the timber, burn the wood and never even think of planting them back. Today, there are countless people jostling for a handful of woods. So, what will prevent a conflict that has now become inevitable, as manifested in Jigawa in 2022? The answer is now also coming from Jigawa, and it is in two words: Go Green. There are limitless possibilities for an economic quantum leap if the tables could be turned. According to a report by the Rural Electrification Agency, developing off-grid alternatives to complement the grid could create a $9.2 9.2bn-per-year market opportunity for mini-grids and solar home systems that will save $4.4bn per year for Nigerian homes and businesses. Let us also note that tree-planting, which is reforestation, is one of the most effective ways to fight climate change. Indeed, it is known as the first defence line against climate change. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is causing our planet to heat up; trees absorb this carbon from the atmosphere and convert it into oxygen. Essentially, trees breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. Scientists have estimated that if a global tree-planting were initiated, two-thirds of the carbon dioxide emissions made by humans could be removed. The more the trees, the lower the temperatures and the cleaner the air. It is that simple. Considering the intensity of sunlight in our resource-endowed country, there is no quantum of energy we cannot generate from solar power. The 4000 MW the government hopes to get from the proposed nuclear plant is a joke, considering the risk involved in the project. As a matter of fact, experts avow that we can generate more than 6000 MW just from mounting solar panels on the rooftops of designated houses in the country presently. This is why I see Namadi’s fiscal impetus to Jigawa’s green structures as a paradigm shift for Northern Nigeria. Other governors should emulate this gesture. In this column, I have always advocated for putting your money where your mouth is when it comes to climate action. For instance, what moral justification would we have in demanding that the developed nations vote $1bn for the Green Climate Fund when we cannot vote $1m for our Ministry of Environment? Via the Paris Climate Pact mechanism, carbon markets have now given us a concrete opportunity for economic prosperity. However, there can be no progress if the institutional players are not incentivised and the green ecosystem is not properly funded and fiscalised.