Last week, Africa made a bold statement. The Africa Declaration on Artificial Intelligence, endorsed on the 4th of April 2025, is not just another regional framework. It is a vision; a collective intent by African States to shape how Artificial Intelligence is developed, deployed, and governed across the continent.
At the heart of the declaration are three guiding objectives:
Key Commitments: A Seven-Pillar Action Plan
To turn this vision into reality, African governments and institutions have made ambitious but actionable commitments across seven key pillars as follows:
- Talent
Africa’s greatest strength is its people. The declaration places human capital at the centre of AI development by reimagining educational curricula to include AI from early schooling to PhD level. It further envisions a Pan-African AI Scientific Panel to guide evidence-based policymaking. - Data
Data is AI’s most critical resource, and the declaration is clear; Africa must own, govern, and protect its data. Governments will digitize key public datasets across sectors like health, education, and climate; guided by the AU Data Policy Framework and domestic data protection laws. - Compute Infrastructure
To support the continent’s growing AI needs, the declaration commits to building sovereign compute infrastructure. That includes distributed high-performance computing (HPC) systems accessible to academic institutions, startups, and research centers.
These systems will be housed in regional data centers, linked by a continental high-speed network, and protected by strong cybersecurity frameworks—all while minimizing environmental impact.
- Market
Africa’s innovators are everywhere—they just need the right support. The declaration promises to build regional AI hubs where ideas can grow into businesses. These hubs will connect startups with funding, mentorship, and the resources they need to scale. An Africa-first procurement policy will favour local AI solutions, while the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework will be leveraged to help those solutions travel
across borders.
A network of innovation sandboxes and regulatory support systems will make it easier for African startups to thrive at home and scale across the continent.
- Investment
Realizing this vision requires serious financial backing. The declaration includes a plan to launch a $60 billion Africa AI Fund—powered by public, private, and philanthropic capital. It will finance infrastructure, startups, training programs, and research labs—focusing on equity and inclusion every step of the way. - Governance
AI innovation must be matched by sound governance. The declaration encourages the creation of national AI policies that are flexible, responsible, and aligned with the African Union’s strategy. - Institutional Cooperation
To keep everything moving in sync, the declaration calls for the launch of the Africa AI Council—a high-level body steered by the Smart Africa Steering Committee, co-chaired by the AU Commission and the International Telecommunications Union.
This Council will be a continental brain trust—bringing together governments, tech leaders, researchers, and civil society to shape Africa’s voice in the global AI economy.
Conclusion
The Africa Declaration on AI marks a turning point. It moves Africa from being a technology taker to a technology shaper; one that defines its digital destiny on its own terms.
With a clear roadmap, strong institutions, and a deep focus on inclusion and equity, Africa is sending a powerful message to the world: the future of AI will not be built for Africa—it will be built with Africa, by Africa.
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