KIGALI, RWANDA – On April 3–4, 2025, Africa hosted its first-ever Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit in Kigali, Rwanda. The event brought together leaders from government, technology companies, and other organizations across the continent and the world. It was organized in partnership with the World Economic Forum.
During his opening speech, Rwandan President Paul Kagame said that Africa is ready to use AI to help its people grow and succeed. “Africa is ready to leverage AI for inclusive growth and long-term development,” he said.
He also pointed out that Africa has great potential in creativity and innovation, and that AI can help increase that potential. However, he reminded participants that there is still work to do. “For now, our strategy should be to go back to the drawing board and build a solid foundation for connectivity,” he added.
President Kagame explained that AI can help in many areas like improving productivity, making better decisions, and reducing human mistakes. But he also warned that Africa must be careful not to fall behind, since AI is growing faster in other parts of the world.
Throughout the summit, many sessions and panels focused on how Africa can create its own AI solutions, ones that fit the local context and values. There were also discussions about improving digital infrastructure and creating ethical rules to protect citizens while supporting innovation.
One of the key speakers was Lacina Koné, the CEO of Smart Africa. He said Africa doesn’t need to catch up to anyone when it comes to technology. “We are not in a race with anyone,” he said. He also highlighted Africa’s advantages, like its young population and the fact that people speak over 2,000 languages across the continent.
“Why not train AI to speak our languages?” Koné asked. “Let’s build AI that responds to our context, preserves our values, and creates opportunity not for a few, but for the many.”
One major result of the summit was the launch of the African Council on Artificial Intelligence. This new group, created by Smart Africa, a group of about 40 African countries working on digital progress, will help coordinate AI development across the continent. The Council will focus on things like building data centers and training people with the right skills.
Leaders at the summit also talked about the importance of digital independence. Many African countries still rely on foreign tech companies to store data and run online systems. This can make it harder to keep people’s information safe and to make their own decisions.
President Faure Gnassingbé of Togo, who attended the summit as a guest of honor, said it clearly: “Africa must not remain dependent on foreign platforms.”
This summit showed that Africa is ready to take big steps in AI, but on its own terms.
