In a landmark step for Africa’s digital transformation, the Smart Africa Board formally established the Africa Artificial Intelligence (AI) Council, marking a new era of leadership in AI governance and innovation for the African Continent.
Chaired by H.E. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda and Chair of the Smart Africa Board, the Board comprises 42 African Heads of State, the African Union Commissioner for Energy and Infrastructure, the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and leading representatives from the private sector and development partners.
The Council’s mandate is ambitious yet clear: to provide strategic, actionable recommendations that will propel Africa toward a future where AI is accessible to all, responsibly deployed, and truly benefits Africans. This milestone reinforces Africa’s commitment to digital sovereignty, inclusive innovation, and sustainable economic growth in the age of artificial intelligence.
“Our Board mandated us to ensure that Africa leads — not follows — in the global AI transformation,” said Lacina Koné, Director General and CEO of Smart Africa. “With the establishment of the Africa AI Council, we take a decisive step toward shaping an AI-driven future rooted in African values, responsive to African challenges, and designed to unlock African potential. These 15 exceptional leaders bring the expertise, vision, and commitment needed to ensure that Africa becomes a creator, not merely a consumer, of AI technologies.”
The establishment of the Africa AI Council follows a rigorous selection process led by Smart Africa, the African Union Commission (AUC) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), ensuring strong geographic balance and representation across six key thematic areas: Infrastructure, Data, Market, Talent, Investment, and Governance.
The formation of the Africa AI council is the culmination of several months of extensive multi-stakeholder consultations and a continent-wide call for nominations, which attracted more than 400 applications from 57 nationalities across government, academia, civil society, and industry.
Composition of the Africa AI Council
ICT Ministers (7):
- H.E. Sid Ali Zerrouki, Minister of Post and Telecommunications, Algeria
- H.E. Dr. Boukar Michel, Minister of Telecommunications, Digital Economy, and Digitalization, Chad
- H.E. William Kabogo, Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications & Digital Economy, Kenya
- H.E. Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Nigeria
- H.E. Paula Ingabire, Minister of ICT and Innovation, Rwanda
- H.E. Cina Lawson, Minister of Digital Economy and Transformation, Togo
- H.E. Tatenda Mavetera, Minister of Information, Communication Technology, Postal & Courier Services (ICTPCS), Zimbabwe
Independent Members (8):
- Dr. Paulin Basinga, Director for Africa, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- Karim Beguir, Founder & CEO, InstaDeep
- Yasser Shaker, CEO, Orange Middle East and Africa
- Chenai Chair, Director, Masakhane African Languages Hub
- Akua Gyekye, Senior Director and Head of Government Affairs – Africa, Microsoft
- Prof. Vukosi Marivate, Chair of Data Science, University of Pretoria / Co-Founder, Lelapa AI / Deep Learning Indaba
- Walid Naffati, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Tunisie Haut Débit
- Alex Okosi, Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, Google
