Former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has sounded a stark warning: Africa must urgently prepare for the artificial intelligence era or risk permanent exclusion from the global digital economy.
Delivering the keynote address at the London School of Economics’ Africa Summit, Dr Bawumia stressed that AI is no longer a niche technology debate—it is fundamentally about continental sovereignty, inclusion, and economic opportunity. He cautioned that while the world races ahead in AI adoption, Africa’s sluggish embrace of digitalisation threatens to widen existing inequalities rather than bridge them.
“We are in the midst of a digital revolution. AI, data, cloud computing, and automation are reshaping productivity, security, and the very architecture of global competition,” Dr Bawumia told the gathering in London. “The question ‘AI in Africa’ is not a niche technology topic; it is a question about sovereignty, inclusion, and opportunity.”
The former Vice President’s central argument hinges on a critical distinction: Africa must build homegrown AI capacity, not merely import foreign tools. “If we treat AI as a set of imported tools, we will remain price-takers in the Knowledge Economy. If we treat AI as a national and continental capability stack, we can become co-authors of the rules, the markets, and the benefits,” he explained.
Dr Bawumia outlined what he called the “unglamorous but essential” foundations Africa must establish: reliable electricity, internet connectivity, trustworthy data systems, skilled talent, and clear regulatory frameworks. Without these, he warned, AI adoption will deepen regional divides.
The data tells a sobering story. Internet connectivity across Africa stands at just 43%, according to World Bank figures. But the continent’s internal disparities are even more revealing. Rwanda recorded 34% internet penetration in 2023, Ghana reached 70%, while South Africa achieved 76%. These gaps mean AI benefits will concentrate in already-advantaged nations unless policymakers act decisively.
“History teaches us something important: technological revolutions reward those who build foundations—institutions, infrastructure, skills, and rules—before they chase the latest applications,” Dr Bawumia argued. “This is how nations have always converted innovation into prosperity. Africa’s task is to do the same boldly, but methodically.”
He stressed that sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and manufacturing could be transformed by AI if African governments treat the technology seriously, not as an afterthought. The challenge, he emphasized, is discipline: governments must invest in unglamorous infrastructure—power grids, fiber-optic networks, data centres—before pursuing cutting-edge applications.
Dr Bawumia’s message is clear: Africa’s window of opportunity exists now. Delay, and the continent risks becoming a permanent consumer of AI-driven solutions rather than a creator of them.
