Marking the 47th African Telecommunications and ICT Day at a virtual event that brought together policymakers and ICT stakeholders from across the continent, Kenya’s ICT and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary, Dr Margaret Ndung’u, decried the significant brain-drain in Africa’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) ecosystem — attributed largely to low demand for practitioners in the region.
Dr Ndung’u noted that African postgraduates in AI are 10 times more likely than their European counterparts to fill data analyst roles in the global north. Referring to a study by the International Development Research Centre, she pointed out that this situation hinders Africa’s ability to tap into the global AI market, currently valued at $16.5 trillion.
The African Telecommunications and ICT Day is celebrated annually on 7th December to commemorate the founding of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) in 1977, originally as the Pan-African Telecommunications Union (PATU). It later evolved into the ATU, now a specialized agency of the African Union mandated to advance the African ICT sector.
Experts project that by 2030, AI could inject $2.9 trillion into the African economy, representing a 3% annual increase in GDP. This boost “could lift 11 million Africans out of poverty and create jobs for half a million people across the continent each year.”
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Her sentiments were shared by the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Secretary General, Mr. John Omo, who noted that “Africa represents only a marginal 2.5% of the global AI market.” He cautioned that this underrepresentation is a missed opportunity for economic growth and technological advancement.
“We must begin by tackling connectivity challenges and closing coverage and usage gaps, while paying close attention to those already disproportionately affected — women, low-income earners, less educated individuals, and rural dwellers,” Mr Omo recommended.
Kenya, which hosts the Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center — one of the 17 Global Innovation Acceleration Centres of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) — is among the mere six countries (out of 54) in Africa that have data protection laws in place. Combined with other issues, including limited digital infrastructure, policy and regulatory gaps, and concerns over the safety and security of AI, the question of robust data governance frameworks continues to loom large.
At the forum, ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau Director Seizo Onoe announced that the ITU has published over 100 agreed-upon standards for artificial intelligence and is currently developing more than 150 more. These standards aim to establish clear, consistent guidelines — ultimately making AI systems more reliable, fair, secure, and beneficial for everyone.
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“ITU standards on AI,” Mr. Onoe explained, “are enabling breakthroughs in a wide range of areas — from climate action and agriculture to disaster response, healthcare, and road safety.” He added that the ITU is committed to forging links between diverse fields of expertise, noting that “these breakthroughs are driven in large part by new connections among AI experts and experts in domains where AI could make key contributions to sustainable development.”
Also speaking at the forum, Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Experts on AI, Mr. Amr Safwat, called for countries to adopt and nationalise the Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy which, he said, will “fasten the process of achieving Agenda 2063 – Africa’s development blueprint.”
The African Union (AU), under whose ambit the ATU operates, has been instrumental in driving Africa’s digital transformation and accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies. The AU’s flagship initiatives—such as Make Africa Digital (MAD) and the African Digital Compact (ADC)—underscore the continent’s commitment to leveraging digital technologies to address uniquely African challenges.
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