What Nigeria Can Learn from Ghana and South Africa as It Drafts Its AI Strategy
In 2024, the African Union adopted its Continental AI Strategy, a policy framework that sets the tone for how African countries approach artificial intelligence. This strategy rests on five core pillars:
- Applying AI across key sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and education;
- Building governance systems rooted in ethics and human rights;
- Developing infrastructure, talent, data systems, and research capacity;
- Attracting public and private investment;
- Encouraging cross-border collaboration.
As artificial intelligence becomes more embedded in everyday life, African countries are racing to design and adopt national strategies to govern and manage AI. Over 15 African countries have launched or published official national AI strategies or policies.
Ghana’s Early Adoption of an AI Strategy
Ghana is one of the African countries that moved early, publishing a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy covering 2023–2033. However, nearly two years into its rollout, Ghana is still struggling with implementation and governance.
The strategy outlines eight pillars:
- Expanding AI education and training;
- Empowering youth for AI jobs;
- Deepening digital infrastructure and inclusion;
- Facilitating data access and governance;
- Coordinating a national AI ecosystem;
- Accelerating AI adoption in key sectors;
- Investing in applied AI research;
- Promoting AI adoption in the public sector.
The government identified priority sectors where AI could deliver economic and social benefits, including healthcare, agriculture, transportation, financial services, energy, and environmental management.
Progress and Challenges in Ghana
Some parts of Ghana’s AI strategy are already underway, such as the launch of the One Million Coders Programme aimed at building digital and AI skills. However, challenges remain, particularly in establishing dedicated AI governance institutions.
While Ghana has a Data Protection Commission, the proposed Responsible AI Office, intended to ensure compliance with ethical standards, is not yet operational. Additionally, the lack of a fully operational framework for auditing AI systems raises concerns.
South Africa’s AI Governance Approach
In contrast, South Africa’s approach largely mirrors the AU’s priorities but embeds them within existing systems rather than translating them into national laws. The country is finalizing its National AI Policy, which integrates governance into established regulatory bodies.
Despite making tangible progress, several critical components are missing or under-resourced. The absence of AI-specific laws leaves victims of AI-induced harm in a legal grey area.
Lessons for Nigeria
As Nigeria looks to draft its own AI strategy, it must analyze the strategies adopted by Ghana and South Africa, learning from their shortcomings. Key lessons include:
- Ensuring that governance structures are operational before AI systems scale widely.
- Focusing on infrastructure and research investment alongside skills training.
- Defining a clear funding model and legal mandate for oversight bodies from the outset.
Investing in youth and adapting the education system to meet modern demands is vital for Nigeria’s success in AI. The challenge remains to transform policy documents into actionable frameworks that hold large tech actors accountable to ethical standards.
Ultimately, for Nigeria to successfully implement its AI strategy, it must create robust institutions with the authority and resources to oversee the ethical use of AI technologies.
