Funmi Ogundare 

A Social Impact Strategist and AI Governance Advocate, Chidozie Managwu, has stressed the need for countries to embrace practical governance frameworks that balance safety with innovation if they want to remain competitive in Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Managwu, who explained that rigid regulations or a laissez-faire approach would fail, insisted on a layered governance model that builds public trust while accelerating innovation. “The way forward is layered governance that builds trust and accelerates innovation,” he said.

He explained that rules should be proportionate to risk, high-stakes applications such as clinical decision support and biometric identification demands strict testing and monitoring, while lower-risk uses can advance with lighter oversight. “Controls must be matched to the potential for harm rather than to hype,” he said.

The strategist also urged governments to prioritise outcomes over prescriptive technology rules, recommending transparency, auditability and post-deployment safety reporting to ensure accountability. 

He emphasised that markets alone cannot provide the safety infrastructure AI needs, calling for public investment in model evaluation platforms, red-team testing suites and synthetic data labs.

To avoid fragmented rules that advantage only large corporations, Managwu advocated harmonised international standards. 

He also linked governance to workforce development, warning that policies without skilled talent are ineffective, as he proposed reskilling, apprenticeships and partnerships between industry and communities to grow the AI talent base.

For policymaking, he suggested risk-tiering, mandatory post-deployment monitoring, national safety infrastructure and procurement policies that reward responsible innovation.

“If done well, the benefits compound,” he said. “Public trust rises, safe technologies spread faster, and ecosystems attract talent and capital.”

The leaders, he noted, will be those who govern for real outcomes rather than appearances, building systems that protect people, reward responsible innovators and strengthen national competitiveness.

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