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Former Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has outlined six strategic policy steps aimed at positioning Africa as a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI). Speaking at the Africa Summit at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) over the weekend, Dr. Bawumia emphasized the transformative potential of AI for Africa and urged the continent to seize this opportunity to avoid being left behind in the digital age.
During his keynote address on “Artificial Intelligence and Closing Borders in Africa,” Dr. Bawumia highlighted the current lack of a solid digital foundation in many African countries, which hinders the smooth deployment of AI technologies. To overcome these challenges, he proposed a roadmap of six concrete policy actions for African nations to adopt:
1. Build AI Foundations: Invest in reliable power, broadband, and secure data infrastructure, making these a national priority aligned with continental strategies.
2. Create Trustworthy Data Ecosystems: Prioritize digitalization that generates high-quality, representative data, while ensuring lawful governance so that African AI reflects local realities and safeguards citizens’ rights.
3. Develop Talent at Scale: Enhance AI literacy and promote advanced research through curriculum reforms and workforce programs tailored to meet the real needs of the labor market.
4. Strengthen Procurement Capacity: Enable governments to move beyond pilot projects and deploy AI responsibly, with clear accountability, audits, and measurable outcomes.
5. Incorporate Ethics in AI Practices: Ensure AI systems undergo impact assessments, transparency measures, and human oversight, particularly for high-stakes technologies.
6. Foster Cross-Border Collaboration: Leverage continental instruments and harmonized regulations to create interoperable African markets for digital trade and AI-enabled services.
Dr. Bawumia firmly believes that by implementing these measures, Africa can position itself as a global leader in AI, shaping global conversations not just as a consumer, but as a creator of responsible systems that align with African values, languages, and development priorities.
He called on African leaders to make deliberate investments in infrastructure, skills, governance, and markets, emphasizing that AI has the potential to drive shared prosperity across the continent if the right steps are taken.
“Africa has the opportunity to be a builder of responsible AI systems that reflect our values and aspirations,” Dr. Bawumia concluded. “By uniting borders and investing in the right ecosystem, AI can be a force for shared prosperity in Africa.”
Story by Efua Nessa
Source :Loco tv