President Kagame tells Africa to embrace AI at global AI summit
The two-day conference brought together over 1,000 delegates from 45 nations.
Rwanda.- President Paul Kagame has called on African leaders to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) to prevent the continent from falling behind in the tech revolution.
Kagame issued the statement while delivering his keynote address at the inaugural Global AI Summit on Africa, which was held in Kigali on April 3-4, 2025. He said strategic investments in digital infrastructure, workforce development and continental integration are critical for Africa’s AI growth.
President Kagame said: “Africa can’t afford to be left behind, once again playing catch up. We have to adopt, cooperate and compete because it is in our best interest to do so. That is why we are here.
“The potential for innovation and creativity on our continent is immense, and that is already a comparative advantage which AI can multiply. Right now, our strategy should be to go back to the drawing board and build a stronger foundation for connectivity.”
The two-day conference brought together over 1,000 delegates from 45 nations, including heads of state, ministers, researchers and tech experts to discuss an AI future tailored to Africa’s needs.
A Google report in 2024 projected that AI will contribute $30bn to sub-Saharan Africa’s economy by 2030. Another estimate suggested that AI could increase Africa’s annual GDP by 3% to $2.9tn.
However, a study by the Center for AI and Digital Policy found that Africa has only 0.1% of the world’s computing power, and less than 5% of its AI talent pool has access to advanced tools.
The continent has been taking steps to bridge this gap. Kagame praised the African Union, Smart Africa and the ITU for creating the Africa AI Council, which will provide guidance and oversight for the continent’s AI ecosystem.
At the summit, Rwanda and the Gates Foundation also unveiled a partnership to establish the Rwanda artificial intelligence scaling hub, with a commitment of $7.5m over three years.
Rwandan Minister Paula Ingabire said: “We’re starting with three key sectors: health, agriculture and education. We want to prove that AI can be a tool for social transformation—even in low-resource environments.”
Pan-African Cooperation and Regulation
Kagame also noted that the rise of AI is being overshadowed by geopolitical competition, which has limited its development to a small group of nations.
He emphasised the need for reliable, high-stable internet and a stable power supply to support AI integration in Africa’s economies. The president encouraged governments and private sector players to invest in modern infrastructure.
The president called for pan-African cooperation and a unified regulatory framework to accelerate AI adoption in Africa.
Speaking at the summit, the African Union confirmed that it will introduce a continental charter on AI by the end of the year.
Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), said: “Our youth must be able to develop AI startups, acquire the necessary skills and build enterprises. The African continent must move forward in adopting development policies, particularly regarding AI, with the resources available.”
