Dr Stephen Akintayo, Founder of GText Holdings, has advised Nigerian youths to prepare for job losses that may arise from the Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution.
Akintayo gave the advice during activities marking the company’s 18th anniversary celebration at Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
He said AI adoption was rapidly transforming workplaces and increasing productivity across industries, particularly within GText Holdings.
Narrating the company’s experience, Akintayo said over 50 per cent of workers in GText Holdings had already adopted AI tools in their daily operations.
According to him, more than 70 per cent of the company’s flyers are AI-generated, while AI has also improved video editing and customer analysis.
He said the company had directed all staff members to learn AI skills or risk losing relevance in the workplace.
Akintayo projected that about 70 per cent of white-collar jobs could disappear as firms increasingly adopt AI-driven systems.
He, however, noted that sectors such as agriculture, construction and security would continue to require significant human involvement despite technological advancements.
According to him, Africa may take longer to fully adopt robotics, thereby creating opportunities in physical and technical jobs.
He urged graduates to embrace vocational and service-oriented careers such as welding, carpentry, private security, home management and driving.
Akintayo said educated workers in domestic and security services would attract better earnings because of professionalism and etiquette.
He explained that GText Holdings was also expanding into agriculture, renewable energy, e-commerce and security technology.
According to him, AI would support productivity in those sectors without completely replacing human labour.
Akintayo said the company was developing solar-powered CCTV cameras and security applications linked to emergency response systems.
He added that the company was also exploring interactive CCTV systems capable of voice communication with intruders during emergencies.
The entrepreneur said many real estate companies faced liquidity challenges because investments in the sector tied down capital for long periods.
According to him, some struggling firms were not intentionally fraudulent but were affected by poor liquidity management.
Akintayo said GText Holdings had also experienced liquidity issues in the past but survived through diversification into other businesses.
He said the company spent its first seven years in bulk SMS and digital marketing before expanding into real estate.
According to him, the next phase of growth will focus on agriculture, renewable energy, security technology and AI-driven businesses.
Akintayo said the company was restructuring to attract institutional investors and strengthen its global expansion strategy.
He added that GText Holdings had largely grown without depending on bank loans.
