Session
Organizer 1: Government, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 2: Government, African Group
Organizer 3: Intergovernmental Organization, African Group
Organizer 4: Private Sector, African Group
Organizer 5: Private Sector, African Group
Organizer 6: Civil Society, African Group
Organizer 7: Civil Society, African Group
Organizer 2: Government, African Group
Organizer 3: Intergovernmental Organization, African Group
Organizer 4: Private Sector, African Group
Organizer 5: Private Sector, African Group
Organizer 6: Civil Society, African Group
Organizer 7: Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 1: Matchiane Soueid Ahmed, Government, African Group
Speaker 2: LACINA KONE, Intergovernmental Organization, African Group
Speaker 3: Alice Munyua, Private Sector, African Group
Speaker 4: Shikoh Gitau, Private Sector, African Group
Speaker 5: RICHARD NGAMITA, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 6: Dennis Mwighusa, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 2: LACINA KONE, Intergovernmental Organization, African Group
Speaker 3: Alice Munyua, Private Sector, African Group
Speaker 4: Shikoh Gitau, Private Sector, African Group
Speaker 5: RICHARD NGAMITA, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 6: Dennis Mwighusa, Civil Society, African Group
Format
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: The Roundtable format is ideal for fostering an open and interactive discussion among participants, ensuring that diverse perspectives are heard. Given the complexity of AI governance in Africa, this setup allows for direct engagement between policymakers, and representatives from private sector, civil society and academia. The arrangement encourages exchanges rather than passive listening, making it easier to identify practical solutions and collaborative opportunities. A 90-minute duration ensures a focused and structured discussion while allowing sufficient time for audience participation. The format also supports meaningful engagement from both onsite and online participants, incorporating individual contributions and interactive tools. By prioritizing dialogue over presentations, this session structure helps create a balanced exchange of knowledge and experiences.
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: The Roundtable format is ideal for fostering an open and interactive discussion among participants, ensuring that diverse perspectives are heard. Given the complexity of AI governance in Africa, this setup allows for direct engagement between policymakers, and representatives from private sector, civil society and academia. The arrangement encourages exchanges rather than passive listening, making it easier to identify practical solutions and collaborative opportunities. A 90-minute duration ensures a focused and structured discussion while allowing sufficient time for audience participation. The format also supports meaningful engagement from both onsite and online participants, incorporating individual contributions and interactive tools. By prioritizing dialogue over presentations, this session structure helps create a balanced exchange of knowledge and experiences.
Policy Question(s)
Key discussion points include:
• Developing AI governance capacity: How can African institutions establish frameworks that ensure AI development serves public interest and safeguards democratic principles and fundamental rights?
• Reducing dependency on foreign AI systems: What policy, infrastructure, and investment strategies can strengthen Africa’s digital sovereignty?
• AI and digital colonialism: How can Africa ensure equitable control over its data, algorithms, and AI infrastructure to avoid external dominance?
• Balancing ethics, culture, and inclusion: How can AI systems be designed to reflect African values, including communal decision-making and social cohesion?
What will participants gain from attending this session? The session will provide a deeper understanding of opportunities and challenges of AI governance in Africa and its implications for digital sovereignty. Speakers from various stakeholder groups and regions will bring different perspectives, and common solutions and the way forward will be identified. The session will explore practical strategies for fostering local AI ecosystems while addressing the risks of dependency on foreign technologies and external governance models.
Participants will gain insights into:
• Regulatory approaches that balance innovation with human rights protection
• Strategies for reducing reliance on foreign AI models and infrastructure
• The impact of AI-driven economic exploitation and pathways for more equitable development
• The role of African cultural and normative frameworks in shaping AI governance
The discussion will also examine the geopolitical dimensions of AI, offering a critical reflection on how international competition influences Africa’s digital future, by navigating competing global interests and African perspectives.
Description:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming societies at unprecedented pace. While AI offers potential for innovation and socioeconomic development, inadequate governance frameworks risk deepening inequalities, weakening democratic institutions, and reinforcing global technological dependencies. Nowhere is this challenge more pressing than in Africa. Nations are striving to build sovereign and resilient AI ecosystems while navigating a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape marked by shifting alliances, intensifying technological rivalry, and growing economic pressures. Despite increasing engagement from entrepreneurs, researchers, and policymakers, Africa remains significantly underrepresented in global AI development. Limited investment in AI research, regulatory gaps, and dominance of multinational tech companies constrain locally driven solutions. Additionally, outsourcing of data processing and model training to low-wage labor markets in Africa raises concerns about digital exploitation and economic disparities. The risk of AI-driven digital neocolonialism is growing. As global powers compete for technological influence, Africa must strengthen its position to ensure AI serves local needs rather than external interests. African nations have a unique opportunity to establish AI governance models rooted in fairness, transparency, and inclusion. Traditions of communal decision-making, deeply embedded in diverse African societies, emphasize consensus-building and social cohesion. These principles can help shape AI frameworks that align with local realities and normative considerations. Addressing biases in imported AI models, ensuring equitable access to AI-driven economic opportunities, and fostering homegrown innovation that respects democratic values and human rights will be crucial to securing an AI future that works for Africa. By bringing together distinguished speakers from various stakeholder groups and regions, the session will highlight shared goals and differing perspectives on challenges and opportunities. This session is co-organized by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Mauritanian Ministry of Digital Transformation and Public Administration Modernization, Smart Africa Alliance, Mozilla Corporation, Qhala, Thraets, and the African Research Institute on AI.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming societies at unprecedented pace. While AI offers potential for innovation and socioeconomic development, inadequate governance frameworks risk deepening inequalities, weakening democratic institutions, and reinforcing global technological dependencies. Nowhere is this challenge more pressing than in Africa. Nations are striving to build sovereign and resilient AI ecosystems while navigating a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape marked by shifting alliances, intensifying technological rivalry, and growing economic pressures. Despite increasing engagement from entrepreneurs, researchers, and policymakers, Africa remains significantly underrepresented in global AI development. Limited investment in AI research, regulatory gaps, and dominance of multinational tech companies constrain locally driven solutions. Additionally, outsourcing of data processing and model training to low-wage labor markets in Africa raises concerns about digital exploitation and economic disparities. The risk of AI-driven digital neocolonialism is growing. As global powers compete for technological influence, Africa must strengthen its position to ensure AI serves local needs rather than external interests. African nations have a unique opportunity to establish AI governance models rooted in fairness, transparency, and inclusion. Traditions of communal decision-making, deeply embedded in diverse African societies, emphasize consensus-building and social cohesion. These principles can help shape AI frameworks that align with local realities and normative considerations. Addressing biases in imported AI models, ensuring equitable access to AI-driven economic opportunities, and fostering homegrown innovation that respects democratic values and human rights will be crucial to securing an AI future that works for Africa. By bringing together distinguished speakers from various stakeholder groups and regions, the session will highlight shared goals and differing perspectives on challenges and opportunities. This session is co-organized by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Mauritanian Ministry of Digital Transformation and Public Administration Modernization, Smart Africa Alliance, Mozilla Corporation, Qhala, Thraets, and the African Research Institute on AI.
Expected Outcomes
This session provides key insights for fostering AI governance in Africa. It offers diverse perspectives from various countries and stakeholder groups that will inform the IGF outcome document and beyond (e.g. AfIGF, WSIS process), ensuring that African voices shape global AI governance.
Key outcomes include:
• Stronger policy and regulatory pathways – Identifying priorities for AI governance that balance innovation with human rights and accountability.
• Enhanced multistakeholder collaboration – Strengthening dialogue between governments, civil society, and private sector to align AI strategies with regional needs.
• Critical engagement with geopolitical power dynamics – Understanding how international AI strategies shape Africa’s digital future and exploring ways to counter digital neocolonialism.
• Actionable recommendations for AI ecosystems – Proposals for fostering local AI innovation, investing in research, and ensuring democratic governance in AI-driven industries.
Output from the session:
Actionable recommendations and policy priorities to shape AI governance in Africa.
Hybrid Format: This session is designed to create an engaging and inclusive experience for both onsite and online participants. Mentimeter will be used for live polls and interactive feedback. The results will incentivize the discussion and increase participation and inclusivity. To give online participants a dedicated space for engagement, a separate Q&A session will be held, alongside a moderated chat to highlight key contributions.
Online participants are encouraged to join discussions via video and audio, allowing for direct interaction with speakers. Streamlined communication between the onsite and online moderator will ensure smooth interaction between both groups, ensuring balanced participation.