Kigali Hosts Landmark Global AI Summit to Shape Africa’s Digital Future
By 2030, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is projected to add over $2.9 trillion to Africa’s economy. To explore and accelerate this transformation, the Global AI Summit on Africa will take place in Kigali, Rwanda, gathering international leaders, innovators, investors, and policymakers for a pivotal conversation on shaping Africa’s AI future.
Organized by the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR), the Ministry of ICT & Innovation, and the World Economic Forum, the event runs under the theme:
“AI and Africa’s Demographic Dividend: Reimagining Economic Opportunities for Africa’s Workforce.”
With the world’s fastest-growing youth population and increasing digital infrastructure, Africa has a unique opportunity to lead in inclusive, sustainable AI innovation.
Who’s Participating?
This high-level event brings together over 1,000 participants from 95+ countries, including:
- Heads of State & Ministers
- Investors & Philanthropists
- AI Enterprises & Startups
- Global Tech Leaders
- Researchers, Academics, and Policymakers
Notable Speakers & Co-Chairs:
- Strive Masiyiwa – Founder, Econet & Cassava Technologies
- Dr James Manyika – SVP at Google & Alphabet
- Eric Schmidt – Former CEO of Google
- H.E. Ms. Lerato Mataboge – Commissioner, African Union Commission
- Alex Okosi – Managing Director, Google Africa
- Dr. Senait Fisseha – VP, Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation
- Fred Swaniker – CEO, Sand Technologies
- Børge Brende – President, World Economic Forum
- Trevor Mundel – President, Global Health, Gates Foundation
7 Key Thematic Tracks
- People – Jobs, skills, and workforce readiness
- Infrastructure – Digital access, data centres, connectivity
- Data – Equity, sovereignty, and value
- AI Models – Localized, inclusive, culturally aware development
- Applications – Human-centric use cases
- Entrepreneurship – Talent, capital, scale
- Governance – Ethical, inclusive, and trusted AI frameworks
📅 Full Programme: Thursday, April 3
08:30 – 09:15 | Welcome Coffee
09:30 – 10:30
🔹 The African AI Opportunity: Unlocking the $2.9 Trillion Potential
📍 Auditorium
🔹 Designing Africa’s AI Future: Youth, Talent & Innovation
📍 MH1
🔹 Africa’s Language Models: Building AI That Speaks to Us
📍 MH4
10:30 – 11:00 | Break
11:00 – 12:00
🔹 Building AI That Works for Women and Marginalized Communities
📍 Auditorium
🔹 Unlocking Data for Development: Policies for Equitable Data Ecosystems
📍 MH1
🔹 AI for Agriculture, Climate, and Sustainability
📍 MH4
12:00 – 13:30 | Networking Lunch
13:30 – 14:30
🔹 AI-Driven Public Services: Reimagining Government Innovation
📍 Auditorium
🔹 Fostering Africa’s AI Startup Ecosystem
📍 MH1
🔹 Creative AI: The New Frontier for Africa’s Digital Economy
📍 MH4
14:30 – 14:45 | Break
14:45 – 15:30
🔹 AI Regulation: Charting Africa’s Role in Global Governance
📍 Auditorium
📅 Full Programme: Friday, April 4
08:30 – 09:15 | Welcome Coffee
09:30 – 10:30
🔹 Financing Africa’s AI Ambitions – Infrastructure, cloud computing, and investment
📍 Auditorium
🔹 Jobs, Skills, and Talent Mobility – Preparing Africa’s workforce for the global AI economy
📍 MH1
🔹 Generative AI for Inclusive Development – Addressing linguistic and cultural inclusion
📍 MH4
10:30 – 11:00 | Break
11:00 – 12:00
🔹 Infrastructure: Overcoming Barriers & Scaling Access – Power, devices, data
📍 Auditorium
🔹 Trust & Safety in AI – Equity, governance, and ethical design
📍 MH1
🔹 AI in Action: African Success Stories – Startup innovations across sectors
📍 MH4
12:00 – 13:30 | Networking Lunch
13:30 – 14:30
🔹 Compute Capacity: Scaling AI Sustainably
📍 Auditorium
🔹 The Creative Economy & AI – Redefining innovation and human imagination
📍 MH1
🔹 Digital Public Infrastructure & AI – Building people-centred systems
📍 MH4
14:30 – 14:45 | Break
14:45 – 15:30
🔹 AI Governance and Africa’s Role in the Global Context
📍 Auditorium
Summit Objectives
✅ Root conversations in African realities and opportunities
✅ Align stakeholders on shared risks, barriers, and solutions
✅ Promote inclusive and equitable access to AI tools
✅ Highlight scalable innovations driving real-world impact
✅ Build a unified vision for safe and ethical AI across Africa
Why This Matters: Africa’s AI Future Is Now
Africa can shape AI not just as a user—but as a global leader. The Global AI Summit in Kigali aims to ensure that this new era of technology works for all Africans, bridging gaps in Opportunity, talent, and infrastructure.
The continent’s innovation, energy, and diversity can guide the next frontier of global AI development—but only if we act together, boldly, and inclusively.
For more tech news and insights, visit Rwanda Tech News, and explore similar topics and trends in the world of technology.
