Olugbenga Agboola, chief executive officer of Flutterwave, has joined the Silicon Valley & The World Global Advisory Board, an initiative launched by Semafor to bring technology and investment leaders together to shape global technology discussions.
Agboola announced his appointment in a LinkedIn post on Thursday, saying Africa needed a stronger voice in shaping technology policies, particularly as artificial intelligence transforms businesses and economies.
He said closer collaboration between technology developers, policymakers and businesses was necessary to ensure that emerging markets were represented in decisions affecting the future of technology.
“Technology shouldn’t be built in a vacuum. We need direct alignment between the leaders building AI, the policymakers regulating it, and the businesses deploying it on the ground,” Agboola said.
He added that such collaboration was particularly important for emerging markets, where technology was increasingly influencing business operations and digital infrastructure.
The Flutterwave boss said innovators in Accra, Cairo, Lagos, Nairobi and Johannesburg were already contributing to the development of digital and commercial infrastructure across Africa.
He said their experiences and perspectives should be reflected in global conversations about the direction of technology.
Agboola expressed excitement about joining the board, which was launched by Semafor alongside prominent technology and investment executives.
The co-chairs include OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang, Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella, AMD chief executive Lisa Su, ICONIQ’s Divesh Makan and Alphabet’s Ruth Porat.
The advisory board is expected to provide a platform for discussions involving technology leaders and other stakeholders on issues shaping the global technology landscape.
Flutterwave provides payment technology and infrastructure for businesses operating across Africa and other markets.
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