Citizens must take responsibility for their own growth and relevance. AI is not going to wait for us. The machines are getting smarter, faster and more capable. If we do not act now, we will find ourselves irrelevant, not because of fate, but because of our own refusal to adapt. The future may be uncertain, but it is also full of potential for those who choose to prepare. In the end, obsolescence is not a sentence. It is a choice. So is reinvention.

In a recent public statement, Bill Gates predicted that artificial intelligence (AI) will begin replacing many doctors and teachers within the next ten years. According to him, humans will not be needed for most roles in the future. Although this may sound like science fiction, the signs of this shift are already around us. AI is writing code, diagnosing illnesses, tutoring students, managing warehouses and automating tasks that once required skilled human labour. The concern is no longer whether AI will change the world. It already has. The real question is how people, institutions and societies will adapt to stay relevant. In this emerging world, survival will depend not only on formal education but on our capacity to adapt, to learn continuously and to reinvent ourselves.

Robert Greene, author of Mastery, argues that the future belongs to those who develop a wide range of skills and combine them in original and creative ways. This idea is both inspiring, and also essential in the age of AI. To succeed, we must stop relying on one-dimensional qualifications. It is no longer enough to be good at one thing. You must be able to evolve, merge knowledge from multiple areas and apply it to solve new problems. The reality is harsh. In some fields, like physics or medicine, the pace of development is so rapid that professionals who step away for even a few years find themselves outdated.

In the United States, it is estimated that a physicist working outside their core specialty for just four years will often need to retrain to remain employable. That is how fast the world is changing. On the other hand, there are fields that evolve very slowly. English language, for instance, allows professionals to remain relevant for decades with little retraining. This may sound like stability, but it also brings stagnation. When a field hardly changes, it becomes difficult for new entrants to break in, and existing professionals may become too comfortable. Eventually, these sectors become vulnerable to disruption, especially from emerging technologies like AI.

Those who aim to reach the top 10 or even top five per cent in their professions, and who combine that excellence with creativity and adaptability, will always find opportunities. At the top, there is space. At the bottom, there is confusion and struggle. In many parts of the world, especially in developing countries, people often attribute success to divine luck, rather than action.

The deeper message in Bill Gates’ warning is about the collapse of traditional ideas about work and value. In the past, basic competence could guarantee a job. Today, that is no longer the case. Most people aim to be average, or slightly above average, in their fields. But that average is getting crowded, and it is also where competition is most intense.

Those who aim to reach the top 10 or even top five per cent in their professions, and who combine that excellence with creativity and adaptability, will always find opportunities. At the top, there is space. At the bottom, there is confusion and struggle. In many parts of the world, especially in developing countries, people often attribute success to divine luck, rather than action. I have seen people with access to multiple opportunities do nothing with them, choosing instead to wait for a miracle. They claim that God has not given them a chance, when in fact they have chosen not to act. They are waiting for God to do what He has already given them the ability to do themselves. This mindset creates a dangerous culture of dependency and fatalism. The people I speak of are not poor because they were denied opportunities by God. They are poor because they are waiting for miracles instead of using the resources available to them. It is this mindset that must be challenged if any meaningful transformation is to occur.

In advanced societies, there are people who think ahead, who plan for the future, and who guide national development. These people are often referred to as visionaries or strategic thinkers. They are the ones who advocate for reform as society evolves. In our context, His Highness Dr Muhammad Sanusi II, the Emir of Kano, stands out as one of the few genuine thinkers who continues to push for long-term societal change. For years, Emir Sanusi II has been speaking boldly about issues such as family law reform, education for women, economic restructuring and institutional transformation.

Poverty will persist, especially for those with limited skills. Even those with formal education may find themselves unemployed if their training is not aligned with the skills needed in a modern economy. The solution is not complicated, but it is demanding. We must change our mindsets. We must stop moralising a conversation that is fundamentally about responsibility.

But many of his messages are dismissed simply because they are not what people want to hear. In a society where the definition of generosity is reduced to feeding almajirai without educating them, the man who advocates for systemic reform is often branded as an enemy of tradition or a puppet of the West. This is a profound irony. The same society that praises someone for handing out food without solving the underlying problems will condemn the person who wants to address the root causes of poverty and underdevelopment. As a result, deep reformers like Emir Sanusi II face resistance not because they are wrong, but because they are ahead of their time.

In the interim, our failure to modernise continues to hold us back. One major example is electricity. Without reliable power, no country can industrialise. Without industry, there is no base to absorb unskilled labour. Poverty will persist, especially for those with limited skills. Even those with formal education may find themselves unemployed if their training is not aligned with the skills needed in a modern economy. The solution is not complicated, but it is demanding. We must change our mindsets. We must stop moralising a conversation that is fundamentally about responsibility. This is not about who is a good or bad person. It is about who is prepared to compete in the world that is coming.

We must build a culture where people are encouraged to push beyond the average. Where continuous learning and skills development are the norm. Where innovation is not only welcomed but expected. Governments must create the infrastructure that enables a modern economy. Citizens must take responsibility for their own growth and relevance. AI is not going to wait for us. The machines are getting smarter, faster and more capable. If we do not act now, we will find ourselves irrelevant, not because of fate, but because of our own refusal to adapt. The future may be uncertain, but it is also full of potential for those who choose to prepare. In the end, obsolescence is not a sentence. It is a choice. So is reinvention.

Mohammed Dahiru Aminu (mohd.aminu@gmail.com) wrote from Abuja, Nigeria.