It has been stated that for sustainable growth to take deep root in Africa, the continent’s leaders and CEOs must fully embrace an ecosystem economy.
This statement was made on www.texem.co.uk, by Caroline Lucas, Director of Special Projects at TEXEM UK, the United Kingdom based leadership development organisation.
Lucas in the statement titled “Harnessing the Ecosystem Advantage” said further that in the rapidly evolving landscape of global commerce, traditional, siloed approaches to business are increasingly proving insufficient.
“For African CEOs and executive leaders, the shift toward an “Ecosystem Economy” is not merely an alternative strategy, it is a critical imperative for sustainable growth.
“Africa is uniquely positioned to benefit rapidly from ecosystem thinking.
“By moving beyond rigid, linear business models, African enterprises can leverage interconnected networks to unlock immense value.
“This transition allows organisations to bypass traditional barriers and tap into collective intelligence, rele,” the TEXEM director explained
She said that collaboration is the strategic mechanism that compensates for institutional gaps.
Lucas said that in environments where infrastructure or regulatory frameworks may be complex, ecosystem based collaboration acts as a powerful equalizer.
“By intentionally building bridges with diverse partners, leaders can mitigate localized risks, share the burden of innovation, and create resilient value chains that thrive despite systemic challenges.
“True “winning” in this age requires a fundamental shift in leadership mindset, from an emphasis on competition and isolation to a focus on orchestration, platform building, and shared prosperity,” she said.
The statement also announced that TEXEM will be hosting a programme from 24th to 27th August 2026 in York, United Kingdom titled “Winning in the Age of Ecosystems” where African leaders and CEOs will acquire more insights on how to excel in an age of ecosystems.
Three reputable TEXEM faculty, Professor Wim Vanhaverbeke, Professor Nic Cheeseman and John Peters, are expected to deliver the programme.
Professor Wim Vanhaverbeke is a global authority on Digital Transformation, a Professor (Emeritus) of Digital Strategy and Transformation at the University of Antwerp and Antwerp Management School recognised worldwide for advancing open innovation and ecosystem management.
On industry – focused research, his work explores how digital strategies and innovation ecosystems reshape sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and energy.
With respect to prestigious academic appointments, he has held visiting professorships at top institutions including the National University of Singapore, Zhejiang University (China), ESADE Business School (Spain), and Politecnico di Milano (Italy).
As an influential scholar, he has published in leading journals such as Organization Science, Research Policy, Technovation, and California Management Review.
He is also a renowned author and editor who has co-edited four books on open innovation and authored Managing Open Innovation in SMEs (Cambridge University Press); Editor-in-Chief of Technovation, the leading innovation management journal.
He advises global corporations and public organisations on ecosystem strategy, sustainability – driven innovation, and digital transformation; delivers executive and MBA programmes worldwide.
As a thought leader bridging academic and practice, he combines rigorous research with practical insight to help leaders harness collaboration and innovation for competitive advantage in the digital era.
Professor Nic Cheeseman is a former Professor and Director of the African Studies Centre at the University of Oxford.
He has advised world leaders including the Secretary-General of the UN, Presidents of nations as well as Global CEOs.
He is a leading scholar on democracy, elections and governance in Africa. Also a regular media commentator and editor of Democracy in Africa.
He has advised governments and international organisations on democratic accountability, good governance, strategic leadership, geopolitics and electoral integrity.
John Peters (RAF officer) is a former Chair of Association of MBAs (Accreditors of top Business Schools such as Harvard, London Business School, Stanford and IMD).
Also a world-renowned Resilience expert with documentary on his life winning Independent Documentary of the Year and was also nominated for a BAFTA award.
He is a former RAF fast jet pilot and Gulf War Prisoner of War; and later Director of Performance at Aston Business School.
He is an international keynote speaker leadership under pressure and leading in turbulence.
Interested participants in the York programme are expected to click on the link: https://texem.co.uk/winning-in-the-age-of-ecosystems/
“This programme is designed to equip you with the frameworks necessary to lead that evolution, transforming institutional hurdles into collaborative gateways for unprecedented success,” Lucas said.
The following testimonials from past delegates of TEXEM programmes were also shared in the statement.
“We’re dealing with an organisation that’s relevant in today’s world and bringing in all that knowledge to bear. And so its quite a remarkable
organization. So TEXEM will be good on my lips for recommendations going forward. Thank you,”. -Previous TEXEM delegate, Mr Abel Nsa Senior Technical Adviser (TSA) to the Minister of State Petroleum Re, Ministry of Petroleum Re
“Wow! It’s so fully packed and the quality of the faculty is second to none…I think the quality of their presentation really got to me. I’ve realized… that practical and operational issues can be left to the middle level officers in the organisation while I focus more on the strategy to deliver and make my organisation better able to achieve its objective”. -Previous TEXEM delegate, Mr Oluwatoyin Ahmed Edu, Executive Director, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Bank of Industry.
“The programme is quite rich, the content is very insightful, impactful and the content is in fact directed and tailored towards the contemporary leadership challenges we have in the country, or specific and that are directed towards leadership challenges in the country which is strategic leadership in the digital age because we are evolving and we have to be futuristic”. -Previous TEXEM delegate, Kingsley Emeka Egwuh, Assistant Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service.
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