AI4D Voices Lead Critical Discussions at AI for Africa Conference 2025

AI4D Voices Lead Critical Discussions at AI for Africa Conference 2025

Published on October 13, 2025

The recent AI for Africa Conference, hosted in partnership by the G20 South Africa, UNESCO, and the African Union, served as a crucial platform under the theme, "Unlocking AI’s Potential for Africa Development and Prosperity." The event successfully mobilized international support for the AI for Africa initiative, which aligns closely with the long-term goals of the AI for Development (AI4D) network: building African capacity to harness AI and data for sustainable and inclusive growth. AI4D’s commitment to driving locally-led, responsible innovation was evident across the conference's parallel sessions, where network leaders shared expertise and policy priorities.

Cultivating Local Talent and Innovation

The session focused on Cultivating Africa’s AI Talent, Skills, Education and Cultural Innovation directly addressed AI4D’s pillar on strengthening capacity. Professor Jerry John Kponyo of the Responsible AI Lab at KNUST, one of y AI4D’s multidisciplinary labs, contributed by detailing work on fostering the ecosystem through lectures, career guidance, and the SHEcodes initiative, a national program aimed at increasing female involvement in STEM education.

Dr. Rachel Adams, CEO of the Global Center on AI Governance, moderated a discussion on African youth and women in AI, centering the conversation on addressing the gendered digital divide, a core concern of AI4D's equity agenda. During the panel, Rebecca Ryakitimbo, Lead Convener of the Gendering AI Conference (which AI4D supported through the African Observatory on Responsible AI), provided insights on building AI from a decolonial perspective, one that mandates the involvement of African women throughout the entire development lifecycle.This focus on capacity and inclusivity was further reinforced by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC)’s Maggie Gorman Velez, who highlighted four key ways to support the overall AI for Africa vision:

  • Strengthen African Institutions and Ecosystems: The CAD 110M AI4D program directly supports local expertise, empowering 13 AI labs across 12 countries to train leaders and root innovations in African data.
  • Coordinate Global Funding Efforts: By convening the AI for Development Funders Collaborative, the initiative aligns global efforts to combat inequality through responsible AI.
  • Reduce Risks through Homegrown Research: Prioritizing AI safety and ethical adoption by insisting that AI tools are built on local African data and knowledge, ensuring risk mitigation is contextually relevant
  • Promote Inclusive, Multidisciplinary Innovation: Championing equitable AI by requiring diverse teams (combining tech, society, and ethics) and mandatory community input gathered "outside the lab."

Policy, Data Governance, and Local Leadership

AI4D leaders also contributed to sessions dedicated to policy frameworks and local research leadership:

  • Leveraging Africa-led Science, Technology, Research and Innovation: This session, aligning with AI4D’s mission to support African-led innovation, featured Prof Vukosi Marivate and Chenai Chair, Directors of the Masakhane AI Local Language Hub. Their participation underscored the importance of local ownership and context-aware solutions. The Hub’s work directly addresses the underrepresentation of over 50 African languages in AI development, tackling a core barrier to equitable access.
  • The panel Enhancing Data Governance and Institutional Capacities in Africa addressed the ethical and regulatory aspects of AI, a core focus of AI4D. Prof. Alison Gillwald of Research ICT Africa emphasized programs promoting data justice and human rights, while Prof Chijoiki Okorie of the Open African Innovation Research (Open AIR) network highlighted their project that strategically positions Intellectual Property at the heart of AI governance. Their collective contributions ensured that policy discussions focused on the urgent need for robust, African-centric data governance frameworks.

By actively participating across these sessions, the AI4D network continues to mobilise support for its vision, ensuring African knowledge and leadership are central to charting the course for ethical, sustainable, and inclusive AI development.


Article by Daphine Nkunda

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