By Tendai Keith Guvamombe(Johannesburg Midrand)
– The African Union Pan African Parliament is currently hosting its Sixth Parliament, Fifth Ordinary Session, and other crucial meetings, with a spotlight on a session titled “Building a Continental Framework for AI, Data Sovereignty, and Responsible Digital Innovation.”
This pivotal discussion features insights from Prof. Dr. Mirjam van Reisen, a leading expert in International Relations, Innovation, and Care, and FAIR Data Science.During her address in July 2025, Prof. Dr. van Reisen highlighted the undeniable presence and influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in everyday life, from search engines to phone applications.
She underscored AI’s immense economic potential for Africa, estimating it could contribute $3 trillion USD to the continent’s economy by 2030. With 40% of African organizations and 27% of companies already adopting AI processes, its impact is clear.
However, Dr. van Reisen also cautioned about significant challenges, including concerns over African representation in datasets, data ownership, and individual data protection. She stressed that without control over data, Africa risks entering a “new age of colonialism,” where African digital information is exploited abroad without oversight or accountability.”Digital data is the raw material, the resource for AI,” she stated.
To prevent this, Africa must assert control over its data to ensure sovereignty over the tools and platforms used. Dr. van Reisen championed a decentralized approach to data management, moving away from the current centralized models dominated by Western tech giants.
She drew a powerful analogy between the “Woods Wide Web” (the natural fungal network connecting trees) and a “Decentralised Web” for AI, emphasizing data visiting over trusted sources rather than central repositories.
The professor proudly noted Africa’s proactive stance, citing the 2014 AU Malabo Convention on Cyber-security and Personal Data Protection as a pioneering continental legal framework, predating Europe’s GDPR.
She showcased numerous African initiatives, like the Africa University Network on FAIR Open Science and VODAN-Africa, that are already championing data autonomy and ethical data reuse, including the concept that AI producers should pay for African data as a valuable resource.
The call is clear: Africa must leverage its youth, creativity, and heritage to build a secure and inclusive digital future, ensuring data is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) with Ownership in Locale under Regulatory compliance (OLR). This framework is not just an ethical imperative but an economic necessity for the continent.
