Relevant stakeholders have urged African governments to implement stronger regulations on Artificial Intelligence to safeguard the continent’s data sovereignty.
They highlighted the risk of losing control over Africa’s data to foreign companies, warning that citizens’ data could be exploited without proper consent, potentially violating privacy rights and local laws.
These concerns were raised at the Nigeria Fintech Week in Lagos on Thursday, where experts stressed the need for robust AI governance across the continent.
Speaking during a panel session, the Managing Director of Simmons Cooper Partners, Ikem Isiekwena, warned of an “intelligence trap”, wherein AI models, primarily trained on data from the global north, could leave Africa reliant on foreign technologies that fail to address the continent’s specific needs.
“AI models are largely trained on data from the global north, making African contexts and narratives underrepresented. When our stories and contexts are missing from the data driving AI, we risk facing a new form of colonialism—one where foreign data shapes outcomes in Africa,” he cautioned.
According to Isiekwena, this “intelligence trap” poses a significant threat to Africa’s sovereignty, as the continent becomes a passive consumer of foreign AI technologies. Without sufficient local data to influence these models, Africa could be left with tools and systems that fail to address its unique needs, he argued.
On the regulatory front, Isiekwena pointed out the fragmentation across African countries in terms of legal frameworks.
He noted that countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa follow common law systems, while Francophone countries adhere to civil law systems.
Those differences, he stated, create challenges in establishing a unified regulatory framework for AI across the continent.
The Director of Bola Adesina Consulting, Bola Adesina, stated that Africa’s regulatory framework was lagging behind the rapid advancements in AI, urging the continent to establish “legacy regulations” to avoid falling further behind.
While acknowledging AI’s opportunities, she stressed the importance of creating solid legal and ethical frameworks to govern the technology.
