Africa has been urged to leverage the changing global artificial intelligence (AI) landscape to build a self-reliant digital ecosystem anchored on local data, infrastructure, talent, governance and innovation.
This follows growing concerns that the era of heavily subsidised AI services is coming to an end as global technology companies grapple with rising costs associated with data centres, advanced semiconductor chips, energy consumption, model training, governance and talent acquisition.
According to cybersecurity expert and information technology scholar, Professor Ademola, the changing economics of AI presents Africa with a unique opportunity to pursue AI sovereignty rather than remain dependent on foreign technology platforms.
He noted that the continent’s future competitiveness would depend not on the number of AI tools it consumes but on its ability to develop indigenous AI capabilities that address local challenges while remaining globally competitive.
Professor Ademola identified data sovereignty as the foundation of Africa’s AI future, stressing that valuable data generated from sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, finance, telecommunications and public administration should be stored, governed and utilised within the continent.
He called on governments to establish trusted national data sharing frameworks that protect privacy and security while enabling collaboration among public institutions, universities and private organisations.
The expert also advocated increased investment in local and regional data centres to reduce dependence on foreign infrastructure, strengthen digital security and support economic growth through job creation and digital industrialisation.
On human capital development, he urged African governments, universities and industry players to expand AI education programmes that combine technical knowledge with ethics, governance, entrepreneurship, healthcare, agriculture and cybersecurity.
He observed that technology hubs across countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Ghana and Egypt have already demonstrated Africa’s capacity to nurture AI talent, calling for greater investment in research funding, innovation grants, scholarships and continental collaboration.
Professor Ademola further identified open source AI as a practical pathway for accelerating innovation across the continent. He explained that open source models would allow African researchers and developers to customize AI systems for indigenous languages and local realities while reducing dependence on proprietary technologies.
He also stressed the need for regional AI computing infrastructure, ethical governance frameworks and stronger collaboration among governments, research institutions and the private sector to support responsible AI development.
According to him, the end of inexpensive AI services should not be viewed as a setback but as an opportunity for Africa to establish resilient digital institutions, develop competitive AI talent and build sustainable innovation ecosystems capable of driving long-term economic growth.
He maintained that by investing in sovereign data strategies, local infrastructure, skilled human capital, open-source technologies and responsible governance, African countries can position themselves as active contributors to the global AI economy rather than passive consumers.
Source: The Guardian
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