Africa Stakes Its Claim in the AI Revolution: High-Level Dialogue Calls for Strategic Investment and Homegrown Innovation

 

Africa Stakes Its Claim in the AI Revolution: High-Level Dialogue Calls for Strategic Investment and Homegrown Innovation

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - In a landmark declaration, Africa has firmly positioned Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a strategic priority for the continent's future. This commitment emerged from a high-level policy dialogue convened in Addis Ababa, bringing together leaders from over 40 African nations to chart a course for AI development, regulation, and adoption.

The dialogue, a collaborative effort between the African Union Commission, the Government of Ethiopia, and the Institute for Security Studies, took place as a key event within the Ethio Tech Expo ETEX 2025. Under the theme "Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for Africa’s Prosperity and Collaboration," discussions centered on AI's transformative potential to accelerate the realization of the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This pivotal event builds upon the AU Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy adopted in July 2024, signaling a proactive stance by African leaders to not just consume AI technologies but to actively shape and benefit from them. The resounding message was a call for urgent interventions and robust collaboration to cultivate inclusive, ethical, and sustainable AI ecosystems across the continent.

Officially opening the dialogue, H.E. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia underscored the transformative power of AI. "AI is no longer a distant dream—it is the engine of transformation across sectors, geographies, and societies," he stated, expressing strong optimism about its role in achieving Agenda 2063. He further emphasized Africa's ambition to be a key player in the AI landscape, stating, "We made a deliberate choice not to remain passive consumers of imported innovation, but to become active contributors, leveraging AI to address challenges grounded in our own realities."

H.E. Selma Malika Haddadi, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, echoed this sentiment, outlining the AU's ambitious vision for "Harnessing AI for Africa’s Development and Prosperity." This vision prioritizes making AI accessible for socio-economic development, fostering local AI capabilities, promoting a multi-faceted approach to AI governance, and implementing innovative regulations that encourage AI adoption while safeguarding the interests of African citizens.

A critical challenge highlighted during the dialogue was Africa's current AI compute capacity, which accounts for a mere 1% globally. Deputy Chairperson Haddadi passionately advocated for significant investment in renewable-powered data centers, regional compute hubs, and cross-border digital infrastructure to empower local AI model development. She also stressed the importance of data ownership and leveraging Africa's rich datasets and linguistic diversity ethically to create culturally relevant AI systems that honor the continent's heritage.

A high-profile panel discussion on "Collaborative Strategies for AI Adoption in Africa" further delved into the practicalities of scaling AI across the continent. H.E. Lerato D. Mataboge, African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, presented a pragmatic roadmap, identifying key challenges such as digital infrastructure limitations, the AI skills gap, the scarcity of high-quality datasets, and funding constraints.

While acknowledging the growing number of African startups utilizing AI in crucial sectors like agriculture, healthcare, education, and language services, Commissioner Mataboge pointed out the uneven distribution of innovation. "Over 83% of AI startup funding in Q1 2025 went to Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt. AI should help narrow the digital divide, not widen it," she cautioned.

The Commissioner also highlighted the concerning statistic that Africa currently houses only 3% of the global AI talent pool, warning against the continued brain drain. She urged AU Member States to prioritize ensuring that "The next generation of AI architects must be African, educated in Africa, and working to solve African problems."

Other panelists, including H.E. Dr. Gedion Timotheos, Minister of Ethiopian Foreign Affairs, and Dr. Fonteh Akum, Executive Director of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), reinforced the urgency for Africa to actively participate in and lead the AI revolution, leveraging its youthful population. They emphasized the need to build foundational infrastructure, cultivate local talent, and develop adaptable regulations that foster innovation while protecting citizens. The consensus was clear: action must accompany discussions on AI.

The dialogue also featured insightful panel discussions that incorporated global perspectives. Experts from the UK, UAE, China, and Brazil shared lessons learned in "AI for Africa: Lessons from Around the World," while a second panel focused on "Imperative for AI Development, Governance Approaches and the Need for Cooperation to Narrow the Gap," featuring experts from Senegal, Meta, and Addis Ababa University.

The culmination of the high-level dialogue was the release of a Communique declaring Artificial Intelligence as a strategic priority for the African continent. This commitment includes collaborative efforts to develop essential digital infrastructure, high-quality datasets, compute capabilities, skills, and research capacity to ensure ethical and responsible AI development for sustainable development and to mitigate potential risks.

The Communique further pledged to harness AI's vast potential to accelerate the implementation of AU Agenda 2063 and to integrate AI development and governance into Africa's long-term strategic vision for inclusive economic growth, social progress, and sustainable development.

To maintain this crucial momentum, the next edition of the Dialogue is scheduled to take place during the AU Summit in February 2026, also in Addis Ababa.

Beyond policy discussions, the High-Level Policy Dialogue featured an expo showcasing homegrown digital innovations, demonstrating the continent's existing talent and the political will driving Africa's long-term vision as outlined in Agenda 2063. This event served as a powerful statement: Africa is not just talking about AI; it is actively building its AI future.