Media Rights Agenda urges African Union to adopt Pan‑African AI charter protecting human rights

The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) issued a call on Africa Day 2026 for the African Union and its member states to develop a continent‑wide artificial intelligence (AI) framework anchored in human rights, democratic accountability and digital sovereignty. Programme Officer Ayomide Eweje warned that without a collective approach, African nations risk "data colonialism" and becoming passive consumers of foreign‑designed AI, exposing them to algorithmic bias, deepfakes, mass surveillance and civic repression.

The statement highlighted AI’s growing influence across journalism, governance, education, healthcare, elections and business, noting both its development potential and its threats to freedom of expression, privacy and media independence. MRA urged an inclusive process involving governments, civil society, journalists, academics, technology experts and citizens to draft an African Charter or Convention on AI and Digital Rights, with strong provisions for transparency, accountability, inclusion of African languages, and media‑literacy programmes to help citizens recognise misinformation and understand algorithmic systems.