By:
Robert Kwaku Annor
Artificial
intelligence, digital governance and technological sovereignty took centre
stage at the National Internet Governance Forum (IGF Togo 2026), where
policymakers, industry leaders, researchers and civil society representatives
examined the country's readiness to harness AI for national development.
The
panel discussion, titled "Artificial
Intelligence, Governance, Innovation and Strategic Preparation,"
was organised by the Togo Chapter of the Internet Society (ISOC Togo) and
brought together experts from government, academia, the private sector and the
technology ecosystem to discuss the opportunities and challenges associated
with AI adoption.
Participants
agreed that artificial intelligence presents significant opportunities for Togo
to enhance competitiveness, modernise public services and drive innovation.
Businesses highlighted AI's potential to improve productivity and economic
growth, while public sector representatives emphasized its role in delivering
more efficient services to citizens. Academic institutions were also identified
as critical to developing the skilled workforce needed to support the country's
digital transformation.
Discussions
also focused on the challenges that must be addressed to build a sustainable
national AI ecosystem. These include improving the availability and quality of
data, developing AI models capable of understanding local languages and
contexts, strengthening digital skills, financing innovation and establishing
robust data governance frameworks.
Speakers
stressed that digital sovereignty should be viewed as the ability to develop
and manage national technological capabilities, data resources and strategic
priorities while remaining connected to the global digital economy.
The
forum concluded with calls for stronger collaboration among government,
universities, research institutions, technology companies and civil society to
accelerate the development of an innovative, inclusive and nationally driven
artificial intelligence ecosystem that supports Togo's long-term development
goals.
The panel featured contributions from Yawo
Seyenam Gilbert Josias Kavege, Central Director of Operations at the Togo
Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Dr. Séna Apeke, Head of the Computer Science
Department at the École Polytechnique de Lomé; Farooq Sanni, Senior Data
Scientist at Togo AI Lab; and Dr. Akouyo Yvette Gbedevi, a computer science
lecturer at the École Polytechnique de Lomé
