KIGALI, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Delegates at the Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit on Africa have emphasized the urgent need for strategic investments to accelerate AI adoption and AI-driven economic growth.

They made these remarks on Thursday at the opening of the inaugural Global AI Summit on Africa in Kigali, Rwanda.

"Together, we can ensure Africa not only participates in the AI revolution but helps lead it, creating solutions that respond to African priorities while establishing models the world can learn from. AI has tremendous potential for developing countries to leapfrog barriers and unlock new paths for development," said Doreen Bogdan-Martin, secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union.

However, to fully realize these benefits, she emphasized that AI must be handled in a trustworthy manner, guided by clear values, inclusive governance, and human-centered design. "For Africans to benefit equally from the AI revolution, we need to close connectivity gaps across the continent, invest in digital infrastructure, and develop the capacity to close the skills gap," Bogdan-Martin added.

Speaking on key policy interventions, Jeremy Jurgens, managing director of the World Economic Forum, highlighted four critical areas for investment, namely talent development to address the AI workforce shortage, computing power to enhance data processing capabilities, local language datasets to improve AI solutions, and energy to support data centers.

James Mwangi, group managing director and group chief executive officer of Equity Group Holdings Plc, underscored AI's potential in financial inclusion, particularly through AI-driven digital banking.

"What will truly transform the landscape is AI adoption by small and medium enterprises (SMEs), as it enhances business intelligence, streamlines value chains, improves customer targeting, and strengthens SMEs' participation in e-commerce," he added.

Bosun Tijani, Nigeria's minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, stressed the importance of African nations defining their AI objectives before engaging in international collaborations. "African countries need to have clarity on what they want to do with AI and what they bring to the table before discussing partnerships without compromising sovereignty," he said.

Crystal Rugege, managing director at the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Rwanda, pointed out that AI could unlock 2.9 trillion U.S. dollars for Africa's economy by 2030, but achieving this potential requires "bold, decisive leadership and collective action."

Kenyan Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi called for greater investment in Africa's energy sector to support AI advancements.

"We need to rethink how we attract investments in solar, wind, and hydro energy to make it affordable and accessible. Strengthening the energy sector is key to unlocking AI-driven growth," he said, urging the continent to coordinate efforts and invest in capacity building.

The summit, themed "AI and Africa's Demographic Dividend: Reimagining Economic Opportunities for Africa's Workforce," has gathered over 1,000 participants from 90 countries, including more than 100 African AI enterprises.

The event runs from Thursday to Friday, featuring an investment roundtable, a research colloquium, and discussions aimed at positioning Africa as a leading force in AI development and ethical deployment. Enditem

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