The AI Imperative for Inclusive and Sustainable Governance in Africa
Speaking at a recent United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the UN Secretary-General António Guterres remarked, that ‘Artificial intelligence has moved at breakneck speed. It is not just reshaping our world; it is revolutionizing it. This rapid growth is outpacing our ability to govern it, raising fundamental questions about accountability, equality, safety, and security’. AI is reshaping the global, regional and national governance ecosystem, with profound implications for voice, accountability, inclusion, social contract and social cohesion, peace and security for resilient governance in Africa. Recognizing the pivotal role of AI, the African Union in 2024 approved for implementation, the Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy - Harnessing AI for Africa’s Development and Prosperity. The AU considers the application of AI crucial for the realization of the Africa We Want vision – an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens, representing a dynamic force in the international arena.
African countries face a complex array of governance challenges, including limited access to public services, weak transparency and accountability systems leading to corruption, poor service delivery, weak separation of powers, weak institutional capacity, weak social contract and increasing violent extremism, effects of climate change, population growth, and urbanization. These challenges put additional pressure on governance systems as traditional approaches to policymaking and service delivery have struggled to keep pace with these evolving dynamics, resulting in persistent inequalities and inefficiencies, the upsurge of Gen Z protests. AI is what the young people consume – take it to them.
AI has therefore become imperative for driving the realization of AU’s aspiration for “an Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law, peaceful and secure Africa. In many countries in Africa, AI has already become the norm. For instance, Togo is using AI systems to distribute social funds, Zambia is countering disinformation and misinformation during election periods, Kenya is harnessing machine learning in agriculture and education, South Africa is AI for Financial management applications like Jumo and in many Africa countries. AI lies at the heart of Africa’s rapid transformation.
