AI Governance Toolkit for Africa: An African Perspective to the Design, Deployment and Governance of AI

The AI Governance Toolkit for Africa is a comprehensive framework designed to help African nations develop and implement an effective AI governance framework that aligns with their unique contexts and needs.

Authors​

Published: 10 February 2025

Authors: Jacquelene Mwangi, Doctoral Candidate at Harvard Law School, and David Lemayian of Qubit Hub / QTrust

Guidance: Dr. Shikoh Gitau (PhD), CEO of Qhala, and Lacina Koné, Director General / CEO of Smart Africa

Contributors: Ida Wambaa (Dual LLMs), Advocate of the High Court of Kenya; Rosario Kamuti, Advocate of the High Court of Kenya; Sonia Waiganjo, Researcher at Qhala; Stan Getui, CFA; and Kojo Carl Apeagyei of Qhala

Overview​

The toolkit provides practical guidance, resources and tools to help policymakers, regulators and other stakeholders establish robust governance frameworks for the responsible AI development and deployment of AI technologies in Africa.

Summary​

On the continent, organisations and individuals alike are contributing to AI development as a means to to accelerate social progress and spearhead sustainable solutions. Companies like Lima Labs in Kenya are advancing AI for agriculture by using drones and cutting-edge machine learning to automate data collection for crop monitoring. Their solution helps farmers reduce pesticide use and improve production planning for better short- and long-term decision-making. Intron Health in Nigeria is delivering AI healthcare solutions by addressing clinical documentation through real-time speech-to-text technology tailored for 200+ African accents, streamlining the shift to digitised care. Meanwhile, several edutech companies are leveraging AI and education to develop personalised learning tools that enhance the learning experience across the continent.

However, at the same time, African countries’ preparedness for AI research and development is lagging behind the rest of the world, with Sub-Saharan Africa recording the lowest average score of any region in the AI Readiness Index Africa, as published in the Oxford Insights Government AI Readiness Index 2023. These challenges are further intensified by widening disparities in AI and compute access, with developing nations shouldering the environmental costs of digitalisation while gaining fewer of its benefits.

In its 2024 “Governing AI for Humanity” report, the United Nations AI Advisory Body highlights that many African countries are excluded from major international AI governance efforts. Out of 7 prominent non-UN AI initiatives analysed, 48 out of 54 African countries were not involved in any of them.5 This, among other factors, is why we have developed this guide.

The AI Governance Toolkit for African Policymakers is a resource designed to assist African States in developing locally-rooted AI Governance Systems and Frameworks. It addresses AI and governance from various perspectives, including national capacity building and AI regulatory development.The toolkit promotes responsible AI governance through adaptive approaches that align with evolving technologies. The first 2 chapters introduce the foundational aspects of the toolkit, namely, the essential components of an AI governance ecosystem for African countries, and the essential tools for developing national AI.

Full PDF​

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