In one of the most critical sessions of the Global AI Summit Africa 2025, titled "Data: A Strategic Imperative for Adoption, Equity, and Sovereignty," leaders from across sectors converged to explore the foundational role of data in Africa's digital future. Moderated by Isobel Acquah, Executive Director of the Certa Foundation, the conversation centered around building trusted, inclusive, and sovereign data systems as the lifeblood of Africa's AI ecosystem.
Key Themes and Discussions
1. Data as a Catalyst for African AI
"Data is the oxygen of the AI economy," the panel emphasized—a phrase that captured the urgency and centrality of this session. Without high-quality, contextually relevant data, Africa risks building AI systems that do not reflect or serve its people. Panelists agreed that data localization, sovereignty, and strategic governance are prerequisites for meaningful AI adoption.
2. The Call for Responsible Governance and Infrastructure
David Kanamugire, CEO of Rwanda's National Cyber Security Authority, highlighted the importance of building national data strategies that balance innovation and privacy. "We must avoid importing frameworks that do not fit our realities," he said, advocating for context-aware regulation that empowers both citizens and innovators.
Annick Sakho of Oracle stressed the role of public-private partnerships in building scalable data infrastructure. She noted that Africa has the opportunity to leapfrog legacy systems and define new data norms that are inherently ethical and inclusive.
3. International Cooperation with Local Relevance
Senator Olivier Cadic of France pointed out that while international alignment is critical, data sovereignty must not be compromised. He promoted cross-border data partnerships rooted in trust and transparency, particularly between Europe and Africa.
Tariq Khokhar, Chief Data Scientist at Wellcome Trust, urged stakeholders to prioritize health data equity, especially as Africa scales AI in public health. "We need more African data governed by Africans, for African solutions," he said.
4. A Pan-African Vision for Data
Lacina Koné, Director General of Smart Africa, laid out a vision for harmonized data regulation across the continent, similar to the European Union's GDPR. "We need a continental standard that protects individuals while enabling the private sector to thrive," he asserted. Koné also emphasized the need to train local talent in data science, privacy law, and governance to sustain Africa's data ecosystem.
Key Takeaways
Data Sovereignty Is Non-Negotiable: African countries must develop their own data strategies rooted in local realities, not foreign blueprints.
Infrastructure Investment Is Essential: Without secure and scalable infrastructure, data cannot power innovation or economic transformation.
Cross-Border Collaboration Requires Trust: Shared frameworks and mutual respect between nations will determine the success of global data flows.
Local Context Is Everything: AI systems trained on non-African data will fail to serve African needs. Investment in localized data collection is urgent.
People Before Platforms: Citizens must be at the center of data strategies—empowered, protected, and respected in every step of the data lifecycle.
This session underscored that Africa's future in AI will be shaped not just by code and computation, but by the quality, ownership, and governance of its data. If data is the oxygen of AI, then equitable access, ethical use, and sovereign control over that data will determine whether AI breathes life into inclusive growth—or suffocates under external dependency.
