Why AI Might Not Fix Nigeria’s Biggest Problems ft TonaTech

Why AI Might Not Fix Nigeria’s Biggest Problems ft TonaTech

From Beyond the Base by Baseman Olu

March 7, 2026 · 45 min · Season 2 · Episode 7

About this episode

The episode discusses the potential of AI to address Nigeria's challenges with guest Tona Tech.

Everybody is talking about Artificial Intelligence right now. We have so many AI-powered companies making headlines, but can AI actually solve Nigeria’s biggest problems? In this episode of Beyond the Base, we sit down with Tona Tech (Adetona Adegbite), an undergraduate student and tech founder, to unpack the realities of AI, startups, and building technology in Nigeria. We explore the current AI wave, the hype surrounding tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, and whether leveraging AI can meaningfully address challenges like Lagos traffic, infrastructure gaps, and misinformation. Tona also shares insights about Alertly, his AI-driven product that delivers personalised, verified news updates via WhatsApp, helping people cut through misinformation and media agenda-setting. We also discussed the broader Nigerian tech ecosystem, exploring the realities of entrepreneurship, the ambition of building a unicorn, and the structural challenges that founders face, from lack of infrastructure to the trust issues that affect everyday business in Nigeria. We also talk about life as a student building tech products, the future of work in an AI-driven world, and why succeeding today may require more…

People in this episode

Guest: Adetona Adegbite

Topics covered

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Nigeria
  • startups
  • technology
  • entrepreneurship

Keywords

  • AI
  • ChatGPT
  • Gemini
  • Lagos traffic
  • infrastructure
  • misinformation
  • Alertly

Mentioned in this episode

Products: ChatGPT, Gemini, Alertly

Places: Nigeria, Lagos, Africa

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