🌍 Global AI Summit on Africa

Created on July 05, 2025

2025

Together with colleagues from IFC’s Country Advisory and Economics team, I attended the #GAISA2025. See below.

The Global AI Summit on Africa, held in Kigali, Rwanda, marked a historic moment for the continent’s digital and technological future. Delegates from around the globe including policymakers, tech leaders, innovators, and youth gathered to shape a shared vision for Africa’s role in the global AI ecosystem.

A standout announcement came from Cassava Technologies and NVIDIA, who revealed a strategic partnership to build Africa’s first large-scale AI Factory. Starting with 3,000 GPUs in South Africa and expanding to Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco, and Egypt, this initiative aims to bridge Africa’s compute gap and enable the training of AI models locally, using African data for African needs.

Throughout the summit, speakers emphasized that Africa no longer needs more strategies—it needs action. Leaders and stakeholders highlighted the urgent need for:

  • Accessible compute infrastructure (GPUs, data centers, reliable power and connectivity)
  • Coordinated AI policy and regulation across borders
  • Focused investment in talent, data governance, and innovation ecosystems

There was strong consensus that advancing Africa’s AI capabilities requires continental collaboration, shared infrastructure, and clear accountability. From ministers and tech CEOs to grassroots innovators, the message was clear: Africa must lead its own AI transformation, not just adapt to global trends.

Key Takeaways

  • 🌐 54 nations endorsed the Africa Declaration on AI
  • 🧠 Africa AI Council created to oversee governance and implementation
  • 💰 Launch of a $60B Africa-AI Fund
  • ⚙️ Cassava–NVIDIA AI Factory to boost local compute power across 5 countries
  • 📢 Calls for actions over strategies—with infrastructure, policy, and innovation as top priorities

The summit was concluded with the Africa Declaration on AI, endorsed by all African countries. The declaration sets a bold continental agenda for ethical, inclusive, and sovereign AI development. It aligns with frameworks like Agenda 2063 and AfCFTA and introduces the Africa AI Council, a continental governance body to oversee coordination and implementation. It also pledged a $60 billion Africa-AI Fund to support infrastructure, talent development, and data governance across the continent.

This Summit solidified Africa’s voice in global AI discourse and signaled a clear shift: from fragmented efforts to a unified, action-driven approach for inclusive AI development across the continent.