Chief Executive Officer of Wakanow, Bayo Adedeji, has called for a fundamental shift in how Africans perceive challenges, urging them to focus more on opportunities than problems.
He believes Africa’s future depends on its ability to identify and harness opportunities rather than focus solely on the challenges confronting the continent.
According to Mr Adedeji, successful entrepreneurs and leaders are distinguished not only by their ability to solve existing problems but also by how quickly they can identify and act on emerging opportunities.
He made the remarks at the Empower Vault Summit at the Great Hall of the University of Ghana, where he spoke to young people about entrepreneurship, leadership and the mindset required to create meaningful change.
“I don’t believe that you are successful because you solve problems only. I believe you are successful because you are able to identify opportunity very quickly,” he said.
Using Wakanow as an example, Mr Adedeji said the company was not the first travel agency in the world but identified an opportunity to make travel services more transparent and accessible to customers.
“Wakanow as a business is not the first travel agency in the world. What we found was an opportunity to make travel agencies transparent to the customer, that you can log in on your phone to wakanow.com and you can shop right there,” he said.
He said his approach to entrepreneurship was shaped by an upbringing that encouraged him to look beyond problems and identify possibilities within difficult circumstances.
“I was brought up not to see problems, but to see opportunity,” he said.
Mr Adedeji illustrated the concept using the familiar image of a doughnut, urging young Africans to recognise what can be created around a challenge rather than becoming consumed by the challenge itself.
“I was brought up not to see a hole, but to see a doughnut. To say that even though there is a hole here, I can see the doughnut around it,” he said.
The Wakanow CEO said changing this mindset could have broader implications for Africa’s development and global image.
He argued that Africans must move away from narratives that define the continent primarily through its challenges and instead position it as a place of untapped opportunities.
“A shift in that mindset means that we can change Africa, and we can change the narration of Africa,” he said.
He added: “We are not a problem continent, we are an opportunity continent.”
His message resonated with the broader objective of the Empower Vault Summit, a leadership and mentorship platform designed to equip young people with the skills, values and mindset needed to succeed.
The summit, organised by Horses and Stables in partnership with the Office of the University of Ghana SRC Vice President, seeks to provide young people with practical tools for leadership, entrepreneurship and personal development.
