On April 3 and 4, 2025, the Kigali Convention Center in Rwanda will host a global summit dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI) in Africa. More than 1,000 participants, experts, and government decision-makers will gather to outline Africa’s digital future.
Rwanda: Crossroads of African Innovation
Kigali is establishing itself as a technology hub with this gathering, the first global event of its kind in Africa. Co-organized with the World Economic Forum and Smart Africa, this event brings together 45 countries and prominent figures, including President Kagame. Discussions will focus on local innovation, a departure from dominant models such as ChatGPT or Llama 3. According to projections, AI could contribute up to 2.9 trillion USD to the African economy by 2030. To this end, the summit will focus on practical applications of AI.
On April 3, 2025, the summit marked the official launch of the African AI Council. A body bringing together governments, businesses, and researchers to harmonize digital strategies. Its priority is to reduce foreign technology dependence. The event also saw the emergence of important partnerships, notably with the Gates Foundation. A philanthropic organization invested 7.5 million USD to establish the Rwanda AI Scaling Hub, a center designed to accelerate the development of AI.
AI serving African needs
The AI race pits giants like OpenAI, Google, and Alibaba against each other, but Africa wants to distinguish itself with a model that reflects its own image. “Where China and the United States dominate, Africa is emerging as a unique player,” notes Guillaume Grallet, a specialist at France 24.
By leveraging its resources, such as its cultural diversity, it aims to create AI models that address several challenges. Africa wants to leverage its 2,000 languages and cultural diversity to create unique solutions adapted to its realities.
This linguistic diversity is an asset, not a barrier. Furthermore, the Mazzacane collective is committed to incorporating African languages into AI technologies, valuing local knowledge. An intelligent system in Swahili or Amharic can transform access to digital services. However, these nascent initiatives require massive investments to compete with major global players.
Digital Governance in Action
AI requires more local data and interfaces in African languages to be accessible to the population. The issue of digital sovereignty will be a central theme of the discussions. Only 2% of African data is stored locally, exposing the continent to dependency.
To address this, the African Council on AI is planning modern data centers and training programs. Faure Gnassingbé, President of Togo, emphasizes: “Africa must not depend on foreign platforms.” The African Union, with its five-year plan launched in 2024, also supports this vision. Along the same lines, an African fund for AI aims to mobilize USD 60 billion, but details remain unclear for now.
Readiness Index and Ethics of Use
It is unclear whether Africa and its technological deficits are truly ready for this technological advance. Although the AI market is evolving rapidly, this tool is not without its gray areas. Issues related to the security of sensitive data and ethical use must be top priorities.
In this regard, the Oxford Insights AI Readiness Index reveals a significant lag compared to other regions. Sub-Saharan Africa achieves an average score of 32.70 out of 100. Rwanda, which is hosting this event, achieves a score of 51.25 and ranks 78th worldwide.
Despite this, Inspiring voices and initiatives are multiplying in Africa. The founder of the Justice League algorithm, Joy Bamouni, advocates for ethical AI, free from human bias. DeepMind researcher Shakir Mohamed supports the Indaba event, a gathering of African innovators.
Karim Béchir, co-founder of Instadeep, a startup acquired by BioNTech, also embodies African technological success. Initiatives like Data Science Africa are gaining visibility, connecting researchers and entrepreneurs across the continent.
