By 
By Wale Ajisebutu is founder, Chairman/CEO, 21st Century Technologies Limited
I have a simple but profound ambition: to change the definition of poverty in Africa from one based on where you live or your economic status to one based on a lack of access to technology.
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I aim to do this by harnessing the power of technology and science to empower individuals, companies, and nations. I am passionately pursuing this unique plan through the ambitious deployment of digital infrastructure and academy in Nigeria.
AI-powered, sustainability-led
To offer world-class services and solve critical problems for industries through motivated talents and skilled workforce—in partnership with global best-in-class players—while putting AI and sustainability at the heart of everything we do. For many years, I approached this ambition at my own pace, progressing cautiously.
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At the beginning of 2025, while thanking God for what I have modestly accomplished since founding 21st Century Technologies Limited over 28 years ago, I asked Him for direction. I received a powerful message to fly around the world to listen and learn about what is possible. I visited over 50 countries within the year.
Imagination: Our greatest resource. Ourselves: Our greatest obstacle
China was not originally part of my itinerary. I had not visited for over 13 years and held the notion that obtaining a visa would be difficult. Yet, as luck—or divine guidance—would have it, a visit to China was seamlessly woven into my plans. Someone I met by chance in Dubai invited me, and the visa was obtained without any stress whatsoever. God divine and guided journey you would say.
Arriving in China after so many years had a life-changing impact on me and will remain a lasting source of inspiration, both in business and in private life. This experience reinforced my belief that the greatest resource available to humanity is our imagination, and our greatest obstacle is ourselves. The ultimate lesson of the visit was that anything is possible.
I witnessed a nation’s extreme commitment to monumental projects, regardless of consequence. I observed the immense scale, the psychological resolve behind such decisions, and a deafening silence of determination coupled with a massive scale of mobilization.
Rich in resources, powered by youth: Africa’s moment is now
This creates a moment of historic, all-consuming focus where every resource, every life, and every ounce of political and social will is directed toward a single monumental goal. The public narrative shifts into a single, unifying story. It is awesome: a nation moving in a unified direction with an unwavering determination to succeed.
My personal notes after the visit are: I am truly blessed to be a Nigerian. I am motivated by the fact that Africa is a powerhouse of resources and manpower, with incredible youth demographics. I am committed to leveraging opportunities in Africa to create impactful solutions and solve critical problems for the continent.
Determined to play a role in interconnecting Africa with the rest of the world, I am fully mobilized and well-positioned to rewrite the history of technology in this part of the world.
Expect great things from us. Merry Christmas.
Wale Ajisebutu is Chairman/CEO at 21st Century Technologies Limited
