President Paul Kagame addressing the opening ceremony on Thursday
Kigali has become the focal point of discussions on artificial intelligence as the inaugural Global AI Summit on Africa kicks off, bringing together over 1,6000 leaders, innovators, and policymakers to explore how AI can unlock the continent’s potential.
The event ongoing March 3-4, themed “AI and Africa’s Demographic Dividend: Reimagining Economic Opportunities for Africa’s Workforce,” sets the stage for transformative conversations on the role of technology in shaping Africa’s future.
President Paul Kagame called on the African continent to harness its creativity and innovation to collectively benefit from AI, emphasizing that Africa cannot afford to lag behind in this technological revolution.
Kagame said while AI is revolutionizing the world, its benefits are often overshadowed by geopolitical competition and concentrated in a few countries.
“Africa cannot afford to be left behind, once again playing catch-up,” Kagame said. “We have to adapt, cooperate, and compete. It is in our best interests to do so.”
He highlighted Africa’s immense potential for innovation and creativity, which can be amplified through AI, provided there is investment in key areas.”
Kagame outlined three priorities: building digital infrastructure with high-speed reliable internet, developing a skilled workforce (data scientists, engineers, and cybersecurity experts), and fast-tracking continental integration to harmonize AI governance and resource mobilization.
Despite concerns over AI’s impact on privacy and data protection, Kagame expressed confidence in its potential as a force for good if Africans work together to drive its application in ways that serve the continent’s best interests.
“Let’s continue working together, and driving AI to reduce inequality, and allow more and more of our citizens to benefit from the good AI can deliver to all of us,” Kagame said.
The summit also featured remarks from President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé of Togo, who underscored the importance of strategic thinking and cooperation despite the challenges posed by global competition and technology protectionism.
“This is a time for cooperation,” Gnassingbé said. “We need to draw lessons from that, and it would be wise for our continent to base our hopes on the sole willingness and generosity of our partners. AI will not be an exception, and that is why we need to have a selective and strategic capacity adopted on the continent.”
Responding to the call for AI infrastructure, Strive Masiyiwa, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Econet Group, highlighted progress in Africa’s digital infrastructure over the past decade, with 120km of fiber laid to connect the continent.
He announced that the first shipment of over 3,000 GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) will arrive in South Africa next month, with plans to install an additional 10,000 units across five sites, providing the compute capacity to support AI development.
Masiyiwa also revealed plans to create African AI language models, starting with Kinyarwanda and Swahili, as part of efforts to build AI that reflects the continent’s unique cultures and needs.
Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary General of the International Telecommunications Union, noted that 17 out of 54 African countries already have an AI policy, emphasizing the need for continued global dialogues to address issues like data safety and security. “That is progress,” she said.
Musalia Mudavadi, Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary, stressed the importance of powering data centers with green energy and promoting geothermal energy use.
He called for increased investment in sustainable energy sources to meet the growing demands of the AI sector.
