Nigeria is hosting the Digital Economy and Inclusion Conference (AFDEIC) on 13-14 August. The meeting brings together political leaders, entrepreneurs, academics and international organisations to discuss the role of artificial intelligence in the continent's economic future.
This year's theme, AI and the African digital economy: leaving no one behind, reflects the goal of promoting inclusive development. In the private sector, projects such as DoctorIA in Rwanda, which assists in medical diagnoses, or AWA in Senegal, a virtual assistant that speaks Wolof and integrates functions in WhatsApp, already stand out.
At the institutional level, the African Union adopted in 2024 a continental artificial intelligence strategy with a 2030 horizon. The plan includes regulatory frameworks, governance bodies and pilot projects. This year, more than 40 states created the African AI Council to coordinate policies and encourage technology adoption.
Africa's digital market, valued at $115 billion today, could reach $712 billion by 2050. However, challenges remain, such as low internet connectivity, limited access to electricity and a shortage of experts. According to the Oxford Insights Readiness Index, sub-Saharan Africa is the region least equipped to harness the potential of AI.
Experts such as Professor Seydina Ndiaye warn that the delay is not only technological, but political. They point to the dependence on foreign infrastructures and the lack of concrete actions to transform discourse into real progress. AFDEIC aims to be a turning point so that artificial intelligence becomes a driver of inclusion and not a factor of inequality.
Source: premiumtimesng.com; afdeic.com