African policymakers, technology experts and civil society leaders have launched a continent-wide initiative aimed at strengthening ethical oversight of artificial intelligence as governments and businesses accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies across critical sectors of the economy.
The Policy Innovation Centre, in partnership with the Africa Hub for Innovation & Development and with support from Luminate, has unveiled the Pan-African AI Ethics and Governance Fellowship, a programme designed to build institutional capacity for safer, more inclusive and accountable AI systems across Africa.
The initiative comes as artificial intelligence technologies gain traction in healthcare, agriculture, education, financial services and public administration across the continent, raising both optimism about economic transformation and concerns over governance, accountability and social harm.
Organisers said the fellowship seeks to address widening fears around algorithmic bias, misuse of personal data, weak regulatory oversight and the risk of excluding vulnerable communities from the benefits of AI-driven innovation.
The 12-week virtual fellowship will convene more than 50 mid- to senior-level professionals drawn from government agencies, regulatory institutions, academia, civil society organisations, the media and private sector companies across Africa. Participants will undergo expert-led training sessions, mentorship programmes and policy labs focused on developing practical governance tools tailored to African realities.
The Executive Director of the Policy Innovation Centre, Dr Osasuyi Dirisu, said the programme was created to ensure Africa plays a more active role in shaping how AI systems are governed and deployed rather than merely adapting external regulatory models developed elsewhere.
“This Fellowship is designed to move beyond conversations on AI and focus on building practical governance capacity across African institutions,” Dirisu said during the launch event. “We are raising the next generation of African leaders who will sit at the intersection of AI system development in Africa and ensure that these systems are inclusive, ethical, and serve the public good.”
The fellowship reflects a broader shift among African governments and institutions seeking to balance rapid technological adoption with safeguards capable of protecting citizens from unintended consequences associated with AI systems.
Across the continent, policymakers are increasingly grappling with questions around automated decision-making, surveillance technologies, misinformation, data ownership and labour displacement as global competition around AI intensifies.
While several African countries have announced national AI strategies or digital transformation frameworks in recent years, implementation remains fragmented and regulatory capacity uneven. Experts warn that without stronger governance institutions; African economies could become vulnerable to exploitative technology practices and excessive dependence on foreign AI systems.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Africa Hub for Innovation & Development, Dr Kunle Kakanfo, said the fellowship was also intended to foster collaboration among African professionals working on similar governance challenges across different jurisdictions.
“The fellowship for us is not just about leadership development in AI ethics and governance; it’s also about making significant connections, cross-country networks, and being able to cross-breed experience,” Kakanfo said. “This fellowship would be a catalytic platform that is able to help us drive the needed change that we need within AI ethics and governance on the continent.”
The launch further reinforces Nigeria’s growing role in the continent’s technology policy ecosystem as the country seeks to position itself as a regional hub for digital innovation and AI governance discussions.
Speaking at the event, National Director of the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Dr Olubunmi Ajala, described the programme as part of Africa’s strategic response to one of the most transformative technological shifts of modern times.
“This is a deliberate, organised, and urgent response of Africa to one of the most consequential technological revolutions in human history,” Ajala said. “If we don’t do what we need to do in terms of governance and ethics, the problems will go beyond technology failures, and some of the damages could be colossal.”
His remarks echo growing international debate over the societal risks posed by generative AI systems and advanced machine learning technologies, particularly around transparency, accountability and concentration of power among a small number of global technology firms.
Participants in the fellowship said they viewed the initiative as an opportunity to bridge the widening gap between innovation and regulation across Africa’s rapidly evolving digital economy.
Head of Product at Auto Check Africa, Ayobola Adedayo, said she hoped the programme will deepen her understanding of AI governance and help shape more responsible adoption of emerging technologies across Nigeria and the wider continent.
A Kenyan technology journalist participating in the fellowship, Carol Odero, said discussions around AI governance were becoming increasingly urgent as innovators and policymakers debate how much regulation emerging technologies require.
“I have spent a lot of time with innovators who think that AI should be left to run wild, that it is not something to govern because it is still so new,” Odero said. “But I would like to show them that there is a different path, and I’m hoping to get that out of the fellowship.”
Organisers said the programme will contribute to building a long-term network of African AI governance practitioners capable of influencing policy reforms, strengthening institutional oversight and promoting more equitable AI systems across the continent.
The initiative also reflects growing recognition among African institutions that governance frameworks will play a critical role in determining whether AI technologies deepen existing inequalities or become tools for inclusive development.
The Policy Innovation Centre, an initiative of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, said the fellowship aligns with its broader mission of supporting evidence-based policymaking and behavioural innovation across Africa’s public and private sectors.
