Nigeria’s technology scene witnessed a new spark of optimism as innovators, founders, and digital creatives gathered in Lagos for Kora’s 2025 Sundown Sessions, a flagship innovation forum that explored how artificial intelligence can drive Africa’s next wave of growth beyond the confines of fintech.

With the theme “AI in Africa: Scaling Beyond the Hype,” the event convened more than 400 participants from diverse sectors, signalling that the continent’s AI conversation is shifting from theory to transformation.

Rethinking the Meaning of Innovation

In his keynote, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, Founding Partner at Future Africa, challenged attendees to broaden their understanding of innovation and development. According to him, Africa’s biggest opportunity lies not just in financial technology but in building the digital foundations that can power every other sector.

“There’s so much to build,” Aboyeji said. “We can’t keep limiting innovation to fintech. Africa’s progress depends on digital infrastructure, connecting trade, governance, and everyday life. Until we solve internet access and digital inclusion, AI will remain a distant dream for many.”

Creativity Meets Intelligence

The evening opened with a fireside chat between Ifeanyi Nwunne, Creative Director of I.N. Official, and Yinka Ash, Founder and CEO of Ashcorp Group, moderated by Dickson Nsofor, Kora’s Chief Executive Officer. The conversation explored how AI is reshaping the creative economy, particularly in fashion and design.

“AI only threatens people who stop innovating,” Nwunne said. “It’s helping us visualise, design, and produce with more precision. It’s not replacing creativity; it’s expanding what’s possible.”

Ash added that while AI brings automation and scale, it cannot replicate emotion. “What separates humans from machines is our experience,” he said. “AI can predict patterns but not passion. The brands that thrive will be those that use AI to enhance, not erase, their humanity.”

The Business of Intelligence

A high-powered panel discussion titled “How Will AI Reshape Business Models in Africa?” featured Somtochukwu Ifezue of PiggyVest, Onyinye Olisah of Onus Financial Services, Buchi Okoro of Quidax, Frank Atat, industry practitioner, and Ugodre Obi-Chukwu, CEO of Nairametrics. The conversation, moderated by Chigozirim Nwokeoma of Techpoint Africa, dissected AI’s practical impact across banking, media, and agriculture.

Ifezue shared how PiggyVest leverages AI tools to improve team productivity and streamline customer experiences. Olisah emphasised that “AI is only as powerful as the people guiding it. If we fail to bring creativity and insight, we risk becoming redundant.”

Okoro underscored the need for responsibility and data ethics in fintech, noting that Quidax has adopted strict internal AI governance to protect users. Atat discussed AI’s influence on food systems, while Obi-Chukwu described how the technology is transforming financial journalism through automation and data analysis, though “human editors still define the story.”

Where Technology Meets Community

For Kora, the driving force behind Sundown Sessions, the goal is to spark collaboration and curiosity across Africa’s innovation ecosystem. CEO Dickson Nsofor described the event as a bridge between progress and purpose.

“AI is redefining what it means to build in Africa,” Nsofor said. “At Kora, we believe innovation should not live in isolation. It should live in the community, where ideas, creativity, and technology meet to move Africa forward.”

The company also unveiled upgrades to its product suite, showing how AI is now being embedded in its payment and risk management systems to help African businesses grow faster, safer, and smarter.

Looking Beyond the Hype

Kora’s Sundown Sessions revealed more than just an appetite for technology; it showed a new generation of African thinkers eager to shape an inclusive digital economy. The conversation was clear: AI is not the future waiting to happen; it is the present waiting to be owned.