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Smart Africa unveils the Africa AI Council

By , Africa editor
Africa , 05 Feb 2025
The Council is tasked with driving digital transformation, fostering innovation, and shaping policies to accelerate Africa's digital economy.
The Council is tasked with driving digital transformation, fostering innovation, and shaping policies to accelerate Africa's digital economy.

Smart Africa, a coalition of 40 African countries representing over a billion people, has launched the Africa Artificial Intelligence (AI) Council to position the continent as a major player in the global AI economy.

This Council, according to Smart Africa, which includes numerous stakeholders from government and the private sector, as well as prominent AI experts from civil society and academia, will lead Africa's push to uniquely position itself in the AI age.

It went on to state that Africa, with the world's youngest and fastest-growing workforce, is well-positioned to benefit tremendously from the productivity gains brought about by AI technologies.

The launch of Africa AI Council comes as industry experts predict the technology could contribute up to $30 billion to Sub-Saharan Africa's economy by 2030.

Also, according to analysts, AI skills in young people can also serve as a catalyst for unlocking and driving innovation, resulting in a workforce capable of serving both Africa and the rest of the world.

To this end, Smart Africa said: “The continent has a unique opportunity to design the workforce of the future, driven by AI-enabled industries, thereby accelerating digital transformation and enhancing economic competitiveness.

“The Africa AI Council will serve as a catalyst for these ambitions, working in synergy with ongoing national and continental efforts. By aligning and amplifying initiatives, the Council aims to unlock AI’s vast potential to accelerate growth and foster inclusive transformation across Africa.”

Lacina Koné, CEO of Smart Africa, commented: "The establishment of the Africa AI Council marks a significant step towards realising Africa's potential in the AI-driven global economy.

“AI is not just technology to us, it’s an African arrow that, when thrown with the right ethical frameworks and inclusive policies, can pierce the way to African digital prosperity and resilience for the benefit of every citizen.”

The inaugural 15-member council will be formally unveiled at the upcoming Global AI Summit on Africa, hosted by Rwanda’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) and Rwanda’s Ministry of ICT and Innovation, in partnership with the World Economic Forum.

C4IR and Qhala, a social impact assessment company, will partner with Smart Africa in developing the strategy and operationalisation of the secretariat that will run the council.

Qhala has since raised start-up funding from the Gates Foundation to support Smart Africa in developing the Council’s strategic plan.

According to Smart Africa, Qhala is already working on an AI governance toolkit, an AI talent readiness index, and a framework for the pan African AI Research Centre, all of which are intended to help the council's work.

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