Africa Risks Falling Behind in AI Adoption, Group Warns at Abuja Report Launch
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Africa Risks Falling Behind in AI Adoption, Group Warns at Abuja Report Launch
The Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative has warned that Africa risks falling behind in the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) for civic engagement and democratic participation, despite the continent’s growing civic technology ecosystem.
This warning formed the central message at the launch of a new continental research report titled Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Civic Engagement in Africa: Issues and Emerging Framework, unveiled Thursday in Abuja during a public press conference attended by government officials, civic actors, development partners, researchers, and members of the media.
Speaking at the event, Halimat Olufade, programme director at BBYDI, described the report as one of the most extensive studies conducted on Africa’s civic technology ecosystem.
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According to her, the research mapped 299 civic technology products across the continent, reviewed 26 policy documents from seven African countries, and examined how citizens engage with AI-driven civic tools.
Olufade noted that Nigeria accounts for more than 80 civic technology platforms identified in the report, representing over a quarter of the continent’s ecosystem.
Despite the significant numbers, she warned that only 47 of the mapped products could be classified as genuinely AI-driven, raising concerns that Africa may be left behind in the rapidly evolving global AI landscape.
She warned that “Africa risks falling behind in using emerging technologies to strengthen democratic participation.”
Olufade also introduced the Artificial Intelligence Framework for Strengthening Civic Engagement System (AIF-NICES), which BBYDI said was developed to guide governments, civic organisations, and technology actors in building inclusive AI-enabled participation systems across Africa.
The launch also featured strong calls for governments to deepen collaboration with young innovators and civic actors rather than limiting engagement to symbolic consultations.
Dr. Onyeche Elisabeth Agbiti-Douglas, project director of the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund, said Nigerian youths were already demonstrating leadership through innovation, civic action, and research.
“She noted that across the country, young Nigerians are building civic tools, founding organisations, conducting research, and pushing back against systems that have long excluded them,” the remarks stated.
Referencing Nigeria’s recent international recognition through two Open Government Partnership awards, Agbiti-Douglas stressed that the honours must translate into meaningful reforms.
“If these two OGP awards mean anything, they must mean that Nigeria is now ready to go further,” she said.
She argued that technology-driven civic participation would only succeed when governments move beyond token engagement with young people.
“All the promise of technology in civic life, government engagement with youth-led innovation remains too often episodic, limited to consultations rather than co-creation, to applause rather than active partnership,” she said.
Agbiti-Douglas added that sustainable nation building would require governments to consistently embed citizen partnership into governance structures instead of treating youth participation as ceremonial.
Government agencies at the event also expressed support for the report and its recommendations.
Busola Perez-Folayan, speaking on behalf of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, described the report as a major contribution to homegrown African technology research.
Meanwhile, Barr. Abdullahi Abubakar Aliyu, representing the director-general of the National Information Technology Development Agency, disclosed that the agency is currently developing national ethical guidelines for AI adoption in Nigeria.
The report launch received support from the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund through partnerships involving LEAP Africa, the MacArthur Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and Luminate.
