How Adetoun Otepola is shaping Africa’s future and economic growth through ABLS

With over three decades of excellence in the real estate sector, Adetoun Otepola has built a career on the principles of structure, value, and long-term vision. As the Founder of Solid Foundation Group, she has navigated the complexities of property development and facility management across Nigeria. However, her latest project—the Africa Business Leadership Summit (ABLS)—is designed to address a different kind of “structural defect”: the gap between high-level dialogue and actionable leadership transformation across the continent.

Otepola recognizes that while Africa is rich in entrepreneurial energy, it often lacks the institutional systems required to scale beyond the founder. Through ABLS, she is convening a high-caliber intersection of policymakers, C-suite executives, and innovators to move beyond inspiration and into the “Dual Vision” required for continental success—balancing short-term survival with long-term strategic growth.

In this interview with IFEOMA OKEKE-KORIEOCHA, Otepola discusses how ABLS is bridging the gap in the current business ecosystem, the roadmap for institutionalizing African excellence, and why the next decade belongs to leaders who trade national boundaries for continental relevance.

Africa’s business landscape is evolving rapidly. How would you describe the current state of leadership across key sectors on the continent?

Africa is entering one of the most defining leadership transitions in its economic history, a shift from survival-driven leadership to transformation-driven leadership. Across sectors like fintech, manufacturing, agriculture, telecommunications, energy, and the creative economy, there is a growing class of leaders who are no longer thinking only within national borders but are building with continental relevance in mind.

What stands out today is resilience. African business leaders have had to navigate inflation, currency volatility, infrastructure gaps, policy inconsistencies, and global economic shocks simultaneously. That environment has produced leaders who are adaptive, resourceful, and highly innovative.

At the same time, there is still a noticeable gap between ambition and institutional capacity. Many businesses remain heavily founder-dependent, and leadership systems are often not yet strong enough to support sustainable scale. So while the continent is rich in entrepreneurial energy, the next phase requires stronger governance, succession planning, strategic execution, and cross-border collaboration.

The encouraging shift is that African leadership conversations are becoming more future-focused. Leaders are increasingly discussing digital transformation, regional trade, AI, sustainability, talent development, and long-term economic positioning, not just short-term operational challenges.

What macroeconomic or structural shifts is most influencing how African business leaders operate today?

Several major shifts are redefining how African leaders operate. First is the rise of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is changing how businesses think about market access, regional expansion, and intra-African trade opportunities. Leaders are now being pushed to think continentally rather than nationally.

Second is the rapid acceleration of technology and digital adoption. Across industries, digital transformation is no longer optional. Businesses are being forced to rethink customer engagement, operations, payments, logistics, and workforce structures.

Third is demographic change. Africa has one of the youngest populations globally, which presents both an opportunity and a pressure point. Leaders must build businesses capable of creating meaningful opportunities for Africa’s growing youth population while remaining innovative and responsive to a younger, digitally native consumer base.

There is also the reality of economic volatility. Inflation, foreign exchange instability, debt pressures, and global supply chain disruptions are forcing leaders to become more agile and financially strategic.

Despite growing opportunities, many African businesses struggle to scale. What do you see as the underlying leadership or strategic gaps driving this?

One of the biggest gaps is the absence of scalable systems. Many businesses are built around the founder’s personal capacity rather than institutional structures. That works at an early stage, but it becomes a limitation when growth demands delegation, governance, and operational consistency.

Another issue is short-term thinking. Because many businesses operate in unstable environments, leaders often focus heavily on immediate survival instead of long-term strategic positioning. That can limit investment in innovation, talent development, research, and market expansion.

There is also a gap in cross-border strategy. Africa has immense market potential, but many businesses still lack the operational readiness, partnerships, and regulatory understanding needed to scale across multiple African markets.

Access to capital is part of the conversation, but capital alone is not the problem. In many cases, businesses struggle because leadership teams are not adequately prepared for scaling complexities such as corporate governance, risk management, data-driven decision-making, or organizational culture management.

The next generation of African business growth will depend not only on visionary founders but on leaders who can build enduring institutions.

Do you think African business leaders are adequately prepared for global competition? Why or why not?

There is progress, but preparation remains uneven.

Many African leaders are exceptionally innovative because they have built businesses under conditions that require constant adaptability. In several sectors, particularly fintech, entertainment, logistics, and telecommunications, African companies are already competing globally and attracting international attention.

However, global competitiveness requires more than innovation. It also requires strong systems, policy alignment, infrastructure, research capacity, global partnerships, and leadership depth.

One challenge is that many businesses still operate reactively rather than strategically. Global competition rewards businesses that can scale efficiently, maintain standards, leverage data, and build internationally trusted brands.

Another challenge is talent retention and leadership development. Too many organizations still underestimate the importance of succession planning and executive capacity building.

That said, Africa is entering a critical moment. The continent has the talent, creativity, and market potential to become a major economic force globally. What is needed now is intentional investment in leadership excellence, regional collaboration, and long-term institution building.