The AI Revolution: Supporting the African Development Bank’s 2024–2033 Ten-Year Strategy and Transforming African Economies
At the African Development Bank Group’s 2025 Annual Meetings, a key side event focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool to promote inclusive and sustainable development across Africa. The 90-minute session gathered experts from various sectors and was co-hosted with Google AI Research.
The central question was: What will it take for Africa to become AI-ready? Solomon Quaynor, Vice-President for Private Sector, Infrastructure & Industrialization at the African Development Bank, emphasized the urgency, stating, “AI is not a luxury—it’s a necessity for Africa’s competitiveness, resilience, and long-term prosperity.”
Caroline Kende-Robb, Senior Director of Strategy and Operational Policies at the Bank, linked AI adoption to the Bank’s 2024–2033 Ten-Year Strategy. She highlighted that “Investing in youth and data infrastructure is no longer optional—these are the foundations upon which Africa must build its AI future.” Her remarks underscored the importance of innovation rooted in African realities and driven by local talent.
Abdoulaye Diack, Program Manager at Google AI Research Africa, spoke on AI’s potential to tackle challenges in agriculture, education, climate adaptation, and public health. He stressed the importance of local data and inclusive models, warning that without them, Africa risks being a passive consumer rather than an active creator of AI solutions.
Ibrahim Kalil Konaté, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Digital Transition and Digitalization, called for regional coordination and harmonized policies to enable responsible, cross-border AI deployment. Robert Skjodt, CEO of Raxio Group, highlighted the need for strong digital infrastructure, especially local data centers, to support AI’s scale and speed demands.
Ousmane Fall, Director of Private Sector Transaction Support at the Bank, urged the development of bankable, scalable digital infrastructure projects to attract long-term investments. Moustapha Cissé, CEO of Kera Health Platforms and a pioneer in African AI research, emphasized creating ethical AI frameworks that reflect African social, cultural, and healthcare contexts.
Muthoni Karubiu, Chief Operations Officer at Amini, stressed enhancing data sovereignty, particularly for agriculture and climate action, through access to localized and context-specific environmental data.
Key Pillars for Africa’s AI Success
The panel reached a clear consensus on three foundational pillars necessary for Africa to effectively adopt AI:
- Human Capital: Equip the next generation with AI literacy and professional expertise.
- Data Infrastructure: Build the digital backbone for connectivity, data storage, and secure exchange.
- Localized Data: Train AI systems on African languages, cultures, and societal needs.
Currently, Africa holds only 1.3% of global data storage capacity and faces challenges in digital readiness. The speakers agreed that urgent investment is needed to avoid falling further behind.
As Africa advances with AI, the African Development Bank commits to fostering a digital future that is inclusive, sovereign, and focused on shared prosperity.
For IT and development professionals interested in expanding their AI expertise aligned with Africa’s growth, exploring comprehensive training resources can be valuable. Platforms like Complete AI Training offer courses that bridge skills gaps and prepare talent for emerging AI opportunities.
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