In order to empower young Africans for the shifting demands of the modern workforce, TPP Africa has announced EMERGE 2025, a dual-city youth summit slated to take place simultaneously in Lagos and Abuja on August 19, in collaboration with the U.S. Consulate and American Spaces.
The event, marking this year’s International Youth Day 2025, will delve into the convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and emotional intelligence (EI), while delivering capacity-building opportunities and a N500,000 innovation fund to support youth-led solutions.
The annual youth summit with the theme, “21st Century Intelligence – Artificial or Emotional?” is designed to help young Africans navigate leadership in a rapidly evolving digital world.
Speaking at a media conference and soiree held Tuesday in Ikeja, Lagos, Dr. Abiola Salami, Founder of TPP Africa and Convener of EMERGE, described the summit as a platform to bridge the gap between machine intelligence and human insight.
Dr. Salami said, “We want to show young people how to blend humanity and technology. You can learn to code, but you must also master emotional intelligence and human connection.”
One noteworthy feature is the EMERGE Innovation Fund, which will award a N500,000 grant to the most innovative young person's proposal that tackles a practical problem in social development, technology, or business.
A key highlight is the EMERGE Innovation Fund, which will award a N500,000 grant to the most promising youth-led innovation tackling a practical problem in business, technology, or social development. Finalists will pitch live before a jury of international and local experts. The winner will also receive a six-month mentorship with TPP faculty, plus access to visibility platforms and global coaching resources.
Beyond the summit, EMERGE advances its mission through a mentorship platform known as GREET, currently engaging over 1,000 young people across the continent.
“Not every young person has a godfather. Some face systemic odds. But EMERGE is here to help them thrive despite those odds,” Dr. Salami added.
Victoria Uwadoka, an honoree and facilitator at EMERGE 2025, discussed the significance of emotional intelligence in today's technologically advanced society. Uwadoka stressed the vital role that self-awareness and strategy play in helping young people navigate the AI future.
She emphasised how important it is to approach and use these tools with consideration and balance.“Artificial intelligence is a powerful assistant, but it cannot replace human judgment, context, or creativity. Our youth must learn to harness AI without losing the unique value that emotional intelligence brings to leadership and decision-making.”
In her words, “AI is a tool not a leader or strategist. Youth must lead with human intelligence, strategy, and context. AI will never replace your creativity.”
She urged young Nigerians to use AI to enhance their productivity while staying grounded in their personal, cultural, and emotional context.
Uwadoka also highlighted the potential of AI to enhance, rather than replace, human creativity—especially in fields like media and innovation. She said, “Bring your creativity to bear and tell AI what you want it to deliver, to help you amplify, refine, or accelerate your work. For our creative industry, you can actually harness AI to gain speed, but it will never take over your creativity.”
