African nations advance AI initiatives in Namibia and Burkina Faso

In Namibia, the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST) has inaugurated the National Artificial Intelligence Institute in Windhoek. The institution aims to reduce the country's technological dependence through four specialized centers: a development center for AI solutions, a data center for local datasets, an AI innovation center in collaboration with ScaleUp Namibia, and a research and development center focused on socio-economic applications. The software development center also intends to provide project-based training and monthly allowances to unemployed youth.

In Burkina Faso, the Interdisciplinary Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for Development (CITADEL) and DataLab launched ‘Lessentiel.bf’, a free mobile application designed to strengthen the national media ecosystem. The platform uses artificial intelligence to collect, synthesize, and translate news into local languages. Currently, the pilot phase extracts data from four national media outlets—Sidwaya, AIB, Burkina 24, and Lefaso.net—and offers translation in Mooré, with plans to expand to Dioula, Fulfuldé, and Gulmancema.