{"id":53696,"date":"2025-04-03T13:48:12","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T13:48:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/president-kagame-africa-must-compete-in-ai-not-play-catch-up\/"},"modified":"2025-04-05T10:17:18","modified_gmt":"2025-04-05T10:17:18","slug":"president-kagame-africa-must-compete-in-ai-not-play-catch-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/president-kagame-africa-must-compete-in-ai-not-play-catch-up\/","title":{"rendered":"President Kagame: Africa must compete in AI, not play catch-up"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Speaking at the opening ceremony of the inaugural Global AI Summit on Africa in Kigali on Thursday, April 3, 2025, President Kagame called for bold investments in digital infrastructure, workforce development, and continental integration to position Africa as a key player in AI innovation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have to adapt, cooperate, and compete\u2014because it is in our best interest to do so. That\u2019s why we are here,\u201d Kagame said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTechnological development is concentrated in a few countries, and Africa cannot afford to be left behind, once again playing catch-up,&#8221; he added.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"656\" height=\"369\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OsqUF2ldK0o\" title=\"Don\u2019t let AI control our politics, Kagame tells delegates at Global AI Summit on Africa\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>{{AI as a force for good<br \/>\n}}<\/p>\n<p>While acknowledging AI\u2019s transformative potential, Kagame cautioned against the risks of allowing AI to influence political and diplomatic affairs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we work together\u2014even in what was stated as geopolitics, diplomacy, and politics\u2014we may drive AI to serve us well, rather than allowing AI to drive our politics, diplomacy, and cooperation,\u201d he stated. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cCertainly, it would be a dangerous place if we involved artificial intelligence too much in our politics. We may have something good come out of it, but we might also experience terrible consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Instead, Kagame urged African leaders and innovators to leverage AI for economic growth, social progress, and reducing inequalities across the continent.<\/p>\n<p>The Head of State outlined three priority areas that Africa must focus on to ensure that artificial intelligence drives meaningful progress across the continent.<\/p>\n<p>First, Kagame emphasized the need to strengthen digital infrastructure, highlighting that reliable high-speed internet and stable power are essential for AI deployment. He urged governments and the private sector to invest in modernizing these systems to support technological growth.<\/p>\n<p>Second, Kagame highlighted the importance of building a skilled workforce to meet the demands of the AI-driven economy. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfrica needs its own data scientists, engineers, and cybersecurity experts,\u201d he stated. <\/p>\n<p>President Kagame pointed to Rwanda\u2019s efforts in establishing centers of excellence designed to equip young people with the necessary skills to participate in and shape the future of AI. <\/p>\n<p>He emphasized that empowering the next generation with digital expertise is key to ensuring that Africa remains competitive in the evolving technological landscape.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, he called for fast-tracking continental integration to facilitate AI development. Kagame underscored the need for harmonized AI governance frameworks that would enable African countries to work together in shaping policies and regulations. <\/p>\n<p>He also stressed the importance of stronger collaboration among nations to accelerate innovation and investment in AI, ensuring that African entrepreneurs and businesses can scale their solutions beyond national borders.<\/p>\n<p>Kagame commended the African Union, Smart Africa, and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for their efforts in championing AI development on the continent. He specifically praised the establishment of the Africa AI Council, which aims to guide the continent\u2019s AI policies and strategies.<\/p>\n<p>Kagame noted that Africa\u2019s young population is a major advantage in the global AI revolution. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfricans will soon represent the majority of the growth in the global workforce,\u201d he said, stressing the importance of equipping them with the right skills to harness AI for economic transformation.<\/p>\n<p>In closing, President Kagame called for unity in ensuring AI becomes a tool for development rather than division. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s remain committed to working together and driving AI to reduce inequality and allow more of our citizens to benefit from the good AI can deliver,\u201d he urged.<\/p>\n<p>The two-day summit brings together African and global leaders, tech experts, and policymakers to discuss AI\u2019s role in shaping the continent\u2019s future.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the high-ranking leaders who graced the opening ceremony included Faure Gnassingb\u00e9, President of Togo; Mahamat Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC); and Musalia Mudavadi, Prime Cabinet Secretary of Kenya, among others.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-84768 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/gnmjuidxeaa2qvv.jpg\" alt=\"Speaking at the opening ceremony of the inaugural Global AI Summit on Africa in Kigali on Thursday, April 3, 2025, President Kagame called for bold investments in digital infrastructure, workforce development, and continental integration to position Africa as a key player in AI innovation.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-84777 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/6c9a9260-enhanced-nr-d388c-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-84779 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/gnmjuq-waaande4_1_.jpg\" alt=\"Some of the high-ranking leaders who graced the opening ceremony included Faure Gnassingb\u00e9, President of Togo; Mahamat Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC); and Musalia Mudavadi, Prime Cabinet Secretary of Kenya, among others.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-84778 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/6c9a8648-2-45fff-2.jpg\" alt=\"The two-day summit brings together African and global leaders, tech experts, and policymakers to discuss AI\u2019s role in shaping the continent\u2019s future.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-84775 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/6c9a8268-6c065-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-84776 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/6c9a9328_1-9395a.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Paul Kagame has urged African nations to take a proactive role in artificial intelligence (AI) development, emphasizing that the continent cannot afford to be left behind in the global technological race. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000084767,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[75],"byline":[192],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-53696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-homenews","byline-wycliffe-nyamasege"],"bylines":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"contributors":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"featured_image":{"id":2000084767,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/gnmjuidxeaa2qvv.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/gnmjuidxeaa2qvv.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/gnmjuidxeaa2qvv.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/gnmjuidxeaa2qvv.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/gnmjuidxeaa2qvv.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/gnmjuidxeaa2qvv.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53696"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53696\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000084767"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53696"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=53696"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=53696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}