By Henry Oladele/Linda Ogbonna

Artificial Intelligence and robotics experts have urged African countries to develop indigenous AI solutions to accelerate economic growth and tackle local challenges.

They made the call at the 6th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (ICAIR 2026) on Tuesday in Lagos.

The conference has the theme, “Artificial Intelligence for Africa’s Sustainable Economic Growth”.

Prof. Kanshukan Rajaratnam of Stellenbosch University, South Africa, said Africa must move beyond AI research to practical solutions that improve people’s lives.

Rajaratnam, delivering a keynote address titled
“From Research to Results: Africa’s AI Translation Challenge”, identified inadequate infrastructure, limited research funding and talent migration as major barriers to AI deployment.

He said African universities, industries and governments must collaborate to translate research findings into practical solutions for agriculture, healthcare, education, finance and public services.

According to him, AI adoption in Africa remains constrained by inadequate computing infrastructure, unreliable electricity and low investment in research and development.

He noted that Nigeria spends about 0.2 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product on research and development, compared with the global average of 2.2 per cent.

Rajaratnam said Africa accounted for only 0.6 per cent of global data centre capacity, in spite of having about 18 per cent of the world’s population.

He identified the continent’s youthful population, growing technology ecosystem and increasing demand for digital skills as opportunities for accelerating AI-driven economic development.

He said Nigeria alone was expected to have demand for digital skills covering 28 million jobs by 2030, highlighting the need for expanded training and capacity development.

The professor stressed that AI solutions must reflect Africa’s languages, cultures, demographic characteristics and socioeconomic realities to ensure their effectiveness.

He warned against relying solely on AI models developed with foreign datasets, noting that solutions must be tested and validated using locally relevant data.

Rajaratnam also urged African governments to invest in shared computing infrastructure, improve electricity supply, strengthen research funding and prioritise locally developed technologies.

He called for stronger partnerships among universities, technology startups, industries and governments to ensure that successful AI research receives the funding and support required for large-scale deployment.

According to him, governments and industries should provide real-world problems and data, while universities should support research, validation and skills development.

He also advocated a shared African register of developmental challenges, locally relevant AI evaluation datasets and stronger collaboration among countries to develop solutions to common problems.

Rajaratnam said African countries must retain more of the economic value generated by AI innovations through local investment, intellectual property ownership and reinvestment in technology development.

He further emphasised the need to preserve human critical thinking, strengthen mentorship and ensure accountability in AI-assisted decision-making.

Earlier, Dr Shonaike Oladipupo, Chairman of the Conference Planning Committee, said AI was transforming industries, professional competencies, research and public service delivery globally.

Shonaike said Africa must become an active contributor to the global AI ecosystem rather than remain a consumer of technologies developed elsewhere.

He identified agriculture, healthcare, education, manufacturing, financial services and public administration as sectors where AI could support economic and social transformation.

He, however, said the benefits would depend on adequate infrastructure, skilled manpower, relevant data, strong research institutions and supportive government policies.

The chairman called for stronger collaboration among universities, research institutions, governments and the private sector to develop responsible and inclusive AI solutions.

He urged participants to use the conference to establish partnerships, exchange ideas and identify practical applications capable of delivering measurable economic and social benefits. (NAN)

Edited by Precious Akutamadu/Oluwafunke Ishola