In efforts to promote evidence-based policy-making for Africa’s digital future, lawmakers from across the continent pledged to build legislative capacity in artificial intelligence (AI), data protection, digital health, and smart manufacturing.
The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) and the African Population Health Research Center (APHRC), in collaboration with the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), and Zambia recently held an inaugural Africa Digital Parliamentary Summit in Lusaka, with ambitions to bolster tech-related frameworks.
According to PAP and GSMA, draft findings from the summit estimate that Africa’s digital health market could reach $6.5 billion by 2030 under an optimistic scenario, highlighting the urgent need for policy alignment to maximise impact and drive inclusive growth.
The two said: "The potential of AI-driven digital health to accelerate universal coverage through data integration and cross-border information exchange, the role of smart manufacturing in enhancing industrial resilience and job creation through automation and Internet of Things, the need Africa-led data governance frameworks for responsible AI development and protect privacy, and human rights, were at the core of the engagements."
The event concluded with the publication of the Lusaka Declaration outlining shared priorities and next steps for ensuring Africa’s digital transformation is inclusive, responsible and grounded in evidence-based policy.
“Against the backdrop of global economic uncertainties and the accelerating pace of technological disruption, this summit has highlighted the critical need to equip African legislators with the foresight and capabilities required to navigate the fourth-industrial-revolution,” said Behdja Mokrani, chairperson of the PAP Committee on Transport, Industry, Communications, Energy, Science and Technology.
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