A former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, has been appointed by the African Union (AU) as Co-chairman of the African Scientific Research and Innovation Council (AU-ASRIC).

In his new role, AU said Pantami would play a pivotal role in crafting the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) Policy and Strategy for Africa, which will impact all 54 countries on the continent

Professor Pantami, who previously served as Nigeria's Minister of Communications, is a leading figure in the promotion of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

His contributions include the establishment of the National Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) during his time as Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

He also played a critical role in the creation of Nigeria's first Digital Economy Policy, with a strong emphasis on Digital Society and Emerging Technologies.

Notably, Professor Pantami is the first African to be recognised as a Fellow by the Chartered Institute of Information Security in the United Kingdom

According to the AU, joining Pantami as co-chair of the council is Professor Anicia Nicola Peter from Namibia, a renowned researcher with extensive experience in Human-Computer Interaction, Social Media, Gamification, and other emerging technologies. Professor Peter also led Namibia's 4IR Presidential Task Force and is an adjunct Research Professor at the University of Namibia.

The council boasts an impressive roster of experts, including Professor Khaleed Ghedira from Tunisia, Professor Maha Grima from Morocco, and other distinguished academics and policymakers. Their collective efforts are expected to drive the continent's adoption of cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity.