Stakeholders have urged African governments to implement stronger regulations on Artificial Intelligence to safeguard the continent’s data sovereignty. They highlighted the risk of losing control over Africa’s data to foreign companies, warning that citizens’ data could be exploited without proper consent, potentially violating privacy rights and local laws. These concerns were raised at the Nigeria Fintech Week in Lagos, where experts stressed the need for robust AI governance across the continent.
The Managing Director of Simmons Cooper Partners, Ikem Isiekwena, warned of an “intelligence trap”, wherein AI models, primarily trained on data from the global north, could leave Africa reliant on foreign technologies that fail to address the continent’s specific needs.
AI models are largely trained on data from the global north, making African contexts and narratives underrepresented. When our stories and contexts are missing from the data driving AI, we risk facing a new form of colonialism—one where foreign data shapes outcomes in Africa,” he cautioned.
However, she cautioned that Africa’s slow pace in ratifying AI-related policies could hinder its ability to fully harness the benefits of AI.
