Africa’s AI Strategy and Digital Sovereignty Spotlighted by World Bank and Scholars

At the opening of the 7th Africa Emerging Markets Forum in Abuja, World Bank Chief Economist Indermit Gill urged African governments to adopt bold, long‑term AI strategies, arguing that artificial intelligence will reshape productivity, investment and global competitiveness. The call was made alongside a high‑level dialogue between Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Olayemi Cardoso and World Trade Organization Director‑General Ngozi Okonjo‑Iweala, who discussed how the continent can harness innovation, trade and investment to boost growth.

In a related academic response, Hans van Linschoten highlighted that Africa’s digital sovereignty depends on having locally owned cloud operators capable of running secure, auditable AI platforms. Citing a study of health‑tech firms in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, he noted that all rely on hyperscale providers such as AWS or Google Cloud, creating governance asymmetry. He argues that a hybrid model, exemplified by the AfriQloud approach, is the realistic path toward genuine diagnostic and data sovereignty across the continent.