Six French-speaking African countries adopt a common framework for ethical, inclusive, and responsible AI with the help of AI4D-supported Niyel

Artificial intelligence is already transforming the way we work, learn, and receive medical care. It opens up immense possibilities, but also carries real risks. In response to this rapid pace of change, six French-speaking African countries—Burkina Faso, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Guinea, and Benin—have just adopted Guidelines for Ethical, Inclusive, and Responsible Artificial Intelligence. This common framework enables them to shape the digital revolution on their own terms, rather than simply being subject to it.

What These Guidelines Entail

The Guidelines propose an operational framework for developing, implementing, and evaluating ethical, inclusive, and responsible AI policies. They are based on seven fundamental principles (including transparency, human rights, digital sovereignty, and inclusion) and five strategic pillars (data governance, inclusion, training, local innovation, and regional cooperation). This document serves as a reference framework to empower governments, harmonize legislative frameworks, and ensure that AI is designed from and for Africa, while respecting cultural diversity and strengthening communities.

The result of a rigorous process bringing together researchers, technical experts, and national directors-general from the ministries responsible for digital affairs in the six countries involved, this work was formally incorporated into the written submissions for the first UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance, being held in Geneva. It represents a structured African contribution to the global debate—an affirmation that the continent can formulate its own policy directions.

Why This Matters

In a region where AI policies often remain fragmented or nonexistent, the commitment of these six governments and institutions to a shared framework is a game-changer. It embodies a shared ambition: to anchor AI governance in the realities, values, and development priorities of Francophone Africa.

For Dr. Aminata Zerbo/Sabané, Minister of Digital Transition, Postal Services, and Electronic Communications of Burkina Faso, the issue is one of choosing a stance:

“The artificial intelligence revolution is accelerating, and with it, every nation faces a choice: to undergo this transformation or to become an active participant in it. Through these guidelines, we are establishing a framework that reflects who we are, based on our values, our languages, and our African realities.”

The benefits are concrete and twofold, as emphasized by Mr. Aly Cherif, National Director of Information Technology and the Digital Economy (Guinea):

“[We should] use AI as a catalyst for human development in education, health, and agriculture, while ensuring that imported systems do not exacerbate power imbalances, perpetuate discrimination, or undermine African societal values.”

An African Voice in the Global Debate

The scope of these guidelines extends beyond the six countries. For Dr. Seydina M. Ndiaye, an expert in artificial intelligence, they are part of a pan-African and global dynamic. These guidelines are intended to engage with African Union initiatives and inform discussions within UNESCO, the ITU, and the United Nations, thereby bringing a coherent and well-informed African voice to the global debate.

This is also the call made by Mr. Symerre Grey-Johnson, Director of Social Development, Human Capital, and Institutional Development at AUDA-NEPAD, the African Union’s development agency:

“I call on policymakers, regulators, researchers, private-sector actors, civil society, and young people, particularly in Francophone Africa, to embrace these guidelines. ”

Niyel’s Role and the AI4D-supported IDIA Project

As part of the Initiative for the Development of Artificial Intelligence (IDIA) project, supported by IDRC and FCDO, Niyel initiated and facilitated a space for dialogue among the six countries and provided guidance throughout the process, from the initial structuring to the finalization of the guidelines.

“Our role at Niyel was to create a space where this collective will could be expressed and transformed into a shared policy document,” explains Valérie Traoré, Executive Director of Niyel.

What’s next?

These guidelines are not an endpoint, but a starting point. They give Francophone Africa a structured voice in pan-African and global debates on AI governance, and a foundation upon which all African countries can develop or revise their national and sectoral strategies, guiding legislative and regulatory efforts toward greater ethics and inclusion.

For policymakers, researchers, and innovators, they offer a concrete framework: one in which AI is viewed as a tool for human development rather than a source of discrimination.

Read the full guideline document: le texte intégral des Lignes directrices pour une Intelligence Artificielle éthique, inclusive et responsable.