By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Rwanda has called for
African countries to move from artificial intelligence ambition to practical
implementation by building infrastructure around clear use cases and ensuring
investments in data and computing capacity deliver tangible outcomes for citizens.
Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and
Innovation, Paula Ingabire, made the remarks during a high-level ministerial
roundtable on accelerating Africa’s AI and data infrastructure held on the
margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The roundtable was convened
by the African Union Commission in collaboration with Google and brought
together ministers from across Africa alongside private sector and academic
leaders.
Ingabire shared Rwanda’s
experience in moving from AI ambition to practical implementation, emphasising
the importance of developing infrastructure around clearly defined use cases.
She said investments in data
and compute should translate into tangible outcomes for citizens, highlighting
the need to connect AI infrastructure development with practical applications
and measurable benefits.
The minister also stressed
the importance of investing in the skills and local capabilities required to
develop, operate and sustain AI systems across Africa.
The discussions reinforced
the importance of collaboration among African countries and between governments
and the private sector in developing the continent’s AI ecosystem.
According to the Rwanda
Ministry of ICT and Innovation, such collaboration will be important to
building an AI ecosystem that is accessible, trusted and responsive to Africa’s
priorities.
