AU consultation exposes deep divides on what Africa must agree on to govern AI

TechAfrica News covers the first day of an open consultation on AI governance and regulation run by the African Union, held on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, as a two-day session run by the AU's Infrastructure and Energy Department. It was convened to put into practice the Continental AI Strategy that the AU Executive Council approved in Accra in July 2024. Souhila Amazouz of the African Union Commission said the number of countries with formally adopted national AI policies had grown from eight to 17, about one-third of African nations, and that a governance approach suited to Africa must be harmonized across the continent.

Panelists debated what to share and what to leave to countries. Angela Wamola of GSMA Africa rejected identical, rigid laws across the continent's jurisdictions and urged a continental baseline of interoperable rules that lets each country converge at its own pace. She said data, compute and connectivity should be treated as one integrated foundation instead of duplicating infrastructure in every country. Mehdi Snene, who advises within the UN's digital and emerging technologies office, noted that 80 percent of African nations still lack a national AI strategy and that Africa's 54 UN member states could carry weight if they present a unified position ahead of the next UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance, due in New York.

Other speakers stressed practical use. Girmaw Abebe Tadesse, a Microsoft researcher with its AI for Good Lab, said governance ought to concentrate on domain-specific decisions such as agriculture, health and local finance, with systems tested in real operating conditions. Robert Ifeonu of the Central Bank of Nigeria asked for usable tools for bodies like central banks and tax authorities.