The recent Global AI Summit on Africa in Kigali signalled a pivotal moment. In her statement, H.E. Lerato D. Mataboge, African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, called AI “an enormous opportunity” for the continent, but one that, if not shaped by African priorities, could widen inequalities and threaten sovereignty. Her warning is timely. Africa stands at a crossroads: become an active shaper of artificial intelligence or risk being a passive recipient of systems designed elsewhere.
AI is already reshaping the world’s economies, with a global market projected to reach $255 billion by 2033. Africa, home to the world’s youngest population and immense developmental challenges, must view AI not as a luxury but a necessity for transformation.
In healthcare, AI has already supported over 350 startups across 27 countries, enabling the delivery of 98 million vaccines and 72 million essential health products. In agriculture, AI tools are helping over 30 million smallholder farmers increase yields through predictive weather data and pest diagnostics. In finance, AI-enabled tools are improving access to credit for millions still excluded from traditional banking systems.
But these gains are still fragmented. To truly unlock AI’s potential, Africa needs to build a continent-wide AI ecosystem rooted in its realities, languages, and developmental goals. This means moving from pilot projects to long-term infrastructure, talent development, and governance frameworks. The AU’s newly adopted “Continental AI Strategy”, which champions an Afrocentric and ethical AI agenda, is a bold and welcome step; but, implementation is where success will be defined.
At stake is more than efficiency. The global AI race is not just technological; it is geopolitical. Today’s dominant systems are being built in Silicon Valley and China, using data that rarely comes from Africa. Without intervention, the continent risks becoming a data colony; its information extracted, processed elsewhere, and sold back without value retention or oversight. AI governance, then, becomes a question of sovereignty. Who writes the rules, owns the data, and captures the value?
The first priority must be human capital. Africa needs massive investment in AI training, from coding bootcamps to university research centres. Africa’s youth, already digitally savvy, must be equipped not just to consume, but to build AI tools. Second, data sovereignty must be enshrined. Africa’s data must be governed by African frameworks that respect privacy, promote equity, and ensure local benefit. Without control of data, Africa cannot control AI.
Third, the continent must foster inclusive AI ecosystems that serve African needs, whether through local language models, health diagnostics tailored to rural clinics, or climate tools for smallholder farmers. This requires collaboration across governments, startups, and academia, anchored in local relevance and public good.
Fourth, international partnerships must evolve. Africa must engage with global tech powers not as a passive recipient but as a co-creator. Whether with Europe, China, or the U.S., partnerships must be based on mutual benefit, transparency, and technology transfer, not digital dependency.
There is no shortage of talent or ideas in Africa. Kigali is becoming a smart infrastructure hub. Ghana is piloting AI in education. Nigeria is building leading AI startups. But these pockets of excellence need systemic support, regulation, and investment. The risks of inaction are real: deepening inequality, misinformation, foreign surveillance, and exclusion from global decision-making.
Africa must lead in the AI era; not to copy others, but to shape its own destiny. AI is not just a technology. It is a tool to deliver dignity, autonomy, and prosperity; if, the continent takes ownership now.
The future is being written in code. Africa must be at the keyboard.
The author is an economist.
