One of Africa’s most decorated management scholars has told Ghanaian corporate directors that artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities are no longer a technological bonus but a core mandate of governance, warning that boards unprepared to interrogate AI-generated intelligence will become a liability to the institutions they oversee.
Professor Robert Ebo Hinson, Vice-Chancellor of the Ghana Communication Technology University (GCTU) and holder of the title of Africa’s Leading Marketing Scholar by the Alper-Dozier Scientific Index for four consecutive years, delivered the keynote address at the Corporate Dialogue Series organized by the Ghana Institute of Directors (IoD-Gh) at the National Insurance Commission (NIC) Conference Room in Accra.
Professor Hinson argued that AI should be seen not as an operational tool reserved for technical staff, but as a strategic tool that fundamentally changes what boards can see, ask questions and make decisions about. He said AI will enable directors to proactively interrogate institutional data, detect hidden trends, surface anomalies and monitor performance predictively rather than retrospectively, rather than just passively reading prepared board materials.
Regarding risk oversight, which he described as the board’s most sacred responsibility, Professor Hinson highlighted the capabilities of AI in real-time compliance monitoring, fraud detection, cybersecurity monitoring, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risk analysis. He said boards equipped with these tools are in a better position to identify new threats before they turn into reputational or financial crises.
The academic also made the case for AI-assisted scenario modeling in long-term strategy, arguing that the ability to simulate disruption, test capital planning projections, and analyze competitive intelligence before making key decisions will transform boards from guardians of the present to architects of the future. He added that benchmark comparisons, option ranking models, and stakeholder sentiment analysis will make board decisions more defensible and transparent without subverting human judgment, which remains irreplaceable.
He concluded by calling on Ghanaian boards across financial services, telecommunications, public sector, family businesses and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to incorporate AI capabilities into board induction programs and continue professional development. “Artificial intelligence is not going to replace fiduciary wisdom,” he says. “It sharpens it. The future belongs to boards that combine human insight with intelligent systems.”
The event also commemorated the publication of five books by Justice Auk Thao. Four of the books focused on governance and leadership, and the fifth dealt with emotional infidelity and its role in marital breakdown. The Corporate Dialogue series brought together board members, corporate executives, governance experts, and academics.
In response to the Ghanaian government’s National AI Strategy launched in May 2025, which requires all public institutions to implement AI tools from 2026, calls for AI capabilities at the board level are increasing. The Emerging Technologies Bill currently before Congress would establish regulatory standards for AI, blockchain, and robotics.
