Olugbenga Agboola joins Semafor’s advisory initiative, which brings technology executives and policymakers together to discuss artificial intelligence and its global impact.
Flutterwave founder and Chief Executive Officer Olugbenga “GB” Agboola has joined the Founders Council of Silicon Valley & The World, a global initiative launched by media company Semafor to bring technology leaders and policymakers together to discuss emerging technologies and their economic and social implications.
The appointment, announced on 8 October, places Agboola among more than 50 global business and technology figures associated with the initiative’s expanded Global Advisory Board.
The initiative is designed to connect the companies developing transformative technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), with policymakers and other decision-makers responsible for shaping how those technologies are deployed.
Agboola said he hoped to bring an African perspective to discussions about the future of technology and the global economy.
“Across Accra, Cairo, Lagos, Nairobi, and Johannesburg, innovators are actively building world-class platforms, infrastructure, and enterprises right on the continent,” he said, according to the announcement.
He added that he looked forward to contributing to conversations shaping the next generation of global technology.
Flutterwave CEO joins technology policy discussions
Semafor announced the launch of Silicon Valley & The World in April 2026, describing it as a platform for connecting technology founders and executives with government officials, financial leaders and policymakers.
The initiative’s advisory board includes senior figures from the technology and investment sectors. Semafor’s published list of co-chairs names Jensen Huang, founder and chief executive of NVIDIA; Satya Nadella, chief executive of Microsoft; Lisa Su, chair and chief executive of Advanced Micro Devices; Ruth Porat of Alphabet and Google; and Divesh Makan of ICONIQ. Sarah Friar, chief financial officer of OpenAI, is also listed among its advisory board members.
The initiative’s inaugural gathering is scheduled for November 2026 in Silicon Valley. Its agenda is expected to cover artificial intelligence, national competitiveness, energy demand, capital formation, security, labour markets and the relationship between technological power and public authority.
Agboola’s appointment comes as governments and businesses increasingly debate how AI and digital infrastructure should be developed, regulated and adopted across different economies.
For African countries, such discussions have implications for access to technology, investment, digital payments, cross-border commerce and the development of regulatory frameworks suited to local markets.
Flutterwave CEO’s global business roles
Agboola’s appointment adds to his existing involvement in international business and technology organisations.
He serves as vice-chair of the US-Africa Business Center Board of Directors at the US Chamber of Commerce and has held board positions with the Corporate Council on Africa, Endeavor Nigeria, Lagoon Hospitals and the advisory board of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art.
Under Agboola’s leadership, Flutterwave has expanded from a payments gateway into a financial infrastructure company serving businesses across African and international markets.
The company has reported processing more than $50 billion in transactions across over one billion transactions. It has also expanded its operations through investments in payment infrastructure and related financial services. The figures were included in the company’s announcement of Agboola’s appointment.
Beyond Flutterwave, Agboola supports emerging technology businesses through Resilience17, a venture studio and early-stage investment platform focused on African founders.
His appointment comes as African technology companies seek greater participation in global conversations about digital infrastructure, AI development and regulation.
The board’s work is intended to bring technology developers and policymakers into closer dialogue as decisions about emerging technologies increasingly affect economies and societies beyond Silicon Valley.
