BY BOLAJI AFOLABI

Globally, with an estimated number of about 2 billion, which represents about 25 percent of the entire world population, youths command strategic position. Given their huge numbers, energies, and strength, they play a special role in every development initiative across the world. As drivers of change and development, imbued with multifaceted dynamism, youths are involved in clear-cut actions and activities that impact positively on varied strata of the society. Over the years, globally, youths are engaged in efforts geared towards achieving sustainable development and democracy. These include using their knowledge and skills in achieving, preserving, and sustaining democratic processes; canvassing and promoting inter-generational equity; driving resourceful innovative initiatives towards political stability, and socio-economic development; pioneering realistic and achievable solutions in addressing developmental challenges in local, and vulnerable communities.

Realizing the importance of youths in growth and development, many countries make deliberate efforts, and take specific decisions by involving them in every way possible. The United States of America, United Kingdom, China, Japan, United Arab Emirates and few other countries are daily, making humongous discoveries, and breaking new grounds in various fields as a result of conscious and deliberate investments in their respective youth population. These countries and others across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Caribbeans have emplaced policies and programmes that provide necessary platforms for youth’s participation in development processes. Strategies evolved in enhancing youth participation include harnessing information technology; inclusion in decision-making and higher responsibilities; collaboration and inter-connection; quality training and education; access to financial services, grants, and scholarship.

Indeed, some African countries are taking useful tips, and progressive-driven cues from the positive narratives in nations earlier discussed. From reports, Morocco, Rwanda, Namibia, and a few others; registering meaningful development, and attracting global recognition have youths as the pillars of their respective feats. From digital technologies to agriculture and tourism. Not forgetting engineering, innovations, health, and other massive revenue yielding enterprises. More importantly, there are reports that youths are engaged in policy ideation, and programme execution at different stages of governance. Little wonder, human movements, across the world to some of these countries increases on a regular basis.

Perhaps it is pertinent to ask, what is our story? Sadly, there is no data about the factual population and percentage of youths in Nigeria. However, there seems to be a unanimity of opinion that about 40 percent of the county’s population is made up of youths. So, how well have we deployed the significant number towards achieving sustainable development? Have we been fair to the youths? How far has Nigeria helped in re-positioning their gifts and talents for physical development and nation building? Are there laid-down regulations towards helping youths discover, nurture, and deepen their thoughts? Has the government (federal and state) provided the enabling environment for the youths to thrive? What are the measures taken by the government (past and present) towards self-actualization of the dreams of our youths?

Somehow, since the birth of the Fourth Republic in 1999, there has been consistent talk about the place of youths in every national developmental stage. From Olusegun Obasanjo to the late Umaru Musa Yar’adua, Goodluck Jonathan, Muhammadu Buhari, (and now) Bola Tinubu, every administration, at inauguration, impress Nigerians about their “brilliant” plans for the youths. A school of thought argues that such talks should not be taken seriously because politicians speak in prose and perform in poetry. Another school of thought likened all promises to sweet melodies merely rolled out to titillate and amuse everyone. Yet, a third school of thought strongly believe that, government has never taken the issues of youth development seriously. Some people concluded that embarking on honest, and focussed youth development will translate to not making them readily available “foot soldiers” and “groundsmen” for greedy, power-hungry, and selfish politicians during electioneering campaigns.

From 1999 to 2023, there were no consistent, conscious, and deliberate investments into realistic youth development. Though few lofty plans and ideas were enunciated but, like many things in Nigeria, they ended up at the “dump sites” of history with the emplacement of a new administration. For instance, while Obasanjo had the credit of establishing a full-fledged Youth Ministry, successive administrations; who perhaps had other ideas, and thoughts merged it with sports. Another noticeable flaw was that many of those who served as Ministers were not versed with the language, nuances, and dispositions required for the office. With no prior records of youth activism, and generational experience, interconnectedness was almost non-existent.

However, in spite of the glaring faults in personnel appointments, few achievements were recorded. Between 1999 and 2007, the Obasanjo government developed the National Youth Policy; strengthened the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC); and embarked on education sector reform including the establishment of the Universal Basic Education Commission, (UBEC), and other agencies. The late Yar’adua established the National Youth Council of Nigeria, (NYCN); and launched the Youth Empowerment Scheme to support young entrepreneurs. Jonathan launched the Young Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria, (YOUWIN) programme, and developed the National Youth Employment Action Plan. Under Buhari, the National Social Investment Programme, (NSIP) was launched; which by the way was riddled with allegations of reckless profligacy and fundamental malfeasance.

Having espoused the flaws, failings, frailties, and positives of past administrations in the fourth Republic, the question is, has anything changed? Are Nigerian youths holding the bigger part of the stick? Are there hopes for youth inclusivity in the Tinubu administration? Will the present government imbibe the spirit of past administrations? Can the Tinubu administration break away from identified policy inconsistencies of those before it? Can Tinubu inspire confidence among the youths? Can Tinubu elicit measures of believability among Nigerian youths?

While he was Lagos state Governor between 1999 and 2007, Tinubu was serially recognized as the proverbial “fisher of men.” Always eulogized, and almost venerated for his masterful attributes in talent discovery, he had an admixture of old and youthful; as well as experienced and dynamic appointees in his government. Fact is, the likes of Babatunde Raji Fashola, (SAN); Senator Opeyemi Bamidele; Senator Solomon Adeola; Dr. Kayode Opeifa; and many others were young but vibrant, and dynamic men and women who had the opportunity to serve under Tinubu. He was noted, and celebrated as a politician who gives, and provides opportunities for youths to excel in leadership and governance. With his towering credentials, and enviable track records, having emerged as the president, many youths were very expectant. Leaders and members of many youth-based civil society groups looked forward to significant shifts as compared to earlier positioning.

The writer recalls that Tinubu, speaking at one of the youth-based town halls in Lagos during the 2023 electioneering campaigns, was direct and precise in his promise to his enthusiastic audience. His pledge of youth inclusion in appointments, and robust youth development initiatives was well acknowledged by many people who attended the function. Tinubu fulfilled the first leg of his promise when, few months after his inauguration, almost-ten young Nigerians were listed, and took office as Ministers. They included Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; Bosun Tijani; Jamila Bio-Ibrahim; Ayodele Olawande; Betta Edu; Hannatu Musa-Musawa. They were deployed to the Interior, Digital Economy, Humanitarian Affairs & Disaster Management, and Creative Economy Ministries. With these appointments, Tinubu did not just fulfill his promise but also deployed the youths in his cabinet to top-notch, and strategic ministries. That he has subsequently appointed more of this generation thereafter into various positions in MDAs clearly underscores his commitment towards youth inclusion in governance and leadership.

Perhaps the most poignant proof of Tinubu’s passion for youth development are encapsulated in the “Renewed Hope” agenda. The components of the youth development initiatives which focuses on education, employment, entrepreneurship, and housing are geared towards self-reliance, empowerment and skills development of Nigerian youths. The choice of Minister to superintendent youth development was deliberate. Unlike his four predecessors, Tinubu settled for someone who ticks all boxes in terms of age, experience, capacity, capability, competence, and dynamism. Cognisant of the need to have someone with strong background in youth development; strategic involvement in innovation and entrepreneurship, Tinubu’s choice elicited widespread commendation by stakeholders in the youth sector.

When Ayodele Olawande was appointed member of Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council, (FEC) on October 16, 2023; first as Minister of State, Youth, and subsequently the substantive Minister, some Nigerians didn’t know him. But for the youth population, particularly those involved in advocacy and activism, he was a perfect inclusion to Tinubu’s cabinet. Young entrepreneurs; many of whom had positive encounters with him while he functioned as aide to presidential adviser on Innovation, his elevation was described as round peg in round hole. For members of various youth wings of the All Progressives Congress, (APC); where he was the Ondo state Youth Leader, his appointment was described as a reward for hard work, consistency, reliability, and loyalty. Imbued by indomitable spirit, and “I-Can-Do-It” resolves, many stakeholders in the sector agree that the soft-spoken, resourceful, and humble Engineer turned politician has accomplished rare achievements under two years of being Nigeria’s 6th Youth Minister of the fourth Republic.

Conscious of the myriad of challenges facing Nigerian youths, Olawande has spearheaded numerous initiatives and intervention programmes that are not only addressing these issues but yielding positive results. These include facilitating the establishment of Youth House in Abuja, and Youth Centers in all the 36 states; facilitating the establishment of Green House in all 774 Local Government Areas in the country; delivery of CNG-powered Tricycle to about 2,000 informal youths, in partnership with the presidential initiative on CNG; launched the empowerment of about 6 million young people on agriculture through the Young Economic Intervention and De-Radicalization Programme, (YEIDEP). Other are training and employment of about 5,000 youths in the data protection and privacy sector in partnership with the National Data Protection Commission, (NDPC); Leading partnership with the National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) to train about 30 million young people in digital literacy; initiated a Youth Internship Programme for experience-gathering, and capacity building for employment opportunities post-national service scheme; initiated the Grassroots Youth Entrepreneurship Support Scheme, (G-YES) for skills, training, and fiscal support to youths in the local communities.

Given the unequivocal private and public commendations Olawande has received from critical stakeholders in the youth sector, one can conclude that his appointment as Tinubu’s anchor for meaningful youth development is well justified. Comrade Godknows Bright said, “since my university days, this is the only Minister that has shown sincere commitment towards addressing the problems of youths in Nigeria.” Abubakar Tanimu, a Kaduna based youth activist declared that, “Olawande operates an open door policy unlike others. He is very accessible, listens, and always open to criticisms.” Ms. Taibat Adebayo believes that, “after every interaction with him at events, he comes across as a true leader in all ramifications.” A staff of the Ministry who pleaded anonymity concluded, “if you go round, majority of staff have positive things to stay about him. Though quiet, easy going, and humble but his capacity for serious work is what many like. Also, he does not joke with staff welfare, and other benefits that will enhance productivity and service delivery.” No doubt, Olawande cannot achieve these milestones without the political will, and support of Tinubu. Also, given the working of government bureaucracy, some top functionaries in other MDAs may have supported Olawande in some ways. But he deserves the bigger encomium for being dogged, steadfast, resilient, resourceful, and focussed in his iron-cast determination to uplift the status of Nigerian youths. Finally, to help the youthful Minister surpass his objectives, the continued understanding and support of relevant MDAs, the legislature, and other stakeholders are necessary.

* BOLAJI AFOLABI, a Development Communications specialist was with the Office of Public Affairs, The Presidency, Abuja.

*By Tunde Olusunle*

I was initially going to predicate this piece on notable developmental milestones I’ve followed in recent weeks and months, in some states in Nigeria’s South.

Indeed, in two separate treatises, I’ve interrogated the endeavours of Chukwuma Soludo, Alex Otti and Umaru Bago of Anambra, Abia and Niger states. I’ve been enamoured by reports of advancements in sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, investment and security among others, coming from the nation’s global South. You often get this feeling of positive peer rivalry between some states especially those below the Niger and Benue rivers, as they strive to improve the lots of their constituents, while also etching their imprimatur on the sands of time. It became imperative, however, to restructure my thoughts in the wake of certain very contemporaneous happenings, especially in the North, and juxtapose them with news from the South.

In August 2024, I wrote a piece titled *The North of Nigeria after the Protests.* It was my reaction to the thoughtlessness and idiocy manifested in parts of the North during the 10-day “hunger protests.” Internet videos and visuals are replete with the mindlessness which characterised youth outings those few days of insanity. Multibillion naira public properties and private investments were wilfully attacked, looted and vandalised. Road infrastructure including concrete pallets laid over public drainages were chiselled with axes just to steal the steel meshes binding and solidifying the platters. About a dozen fatalities were recorded between Borno and Niger states, as security personnel attempted the containment of the ensuing mayhem. Elsewhere, the Nigerian Police received plaudits for its demonstrated professionalism in the management of the fracas, mitigating injuries and minimising casualties, even as swarms of brigands held sway those days of utter madness. You watched these jarring scenes on national and global television and couldn’t but ask yourself: What ends were such barbarity, such primitivity meant to serve?

The hunger protests were also observed in parts of the South. But there was greater circumspection and decorum than was witnessed in many theatres of bedlam in the North. Indeed, governments in many states in the South were proactive. Authorities cautioned before the dates scheduled for the protests, that lawlessness in the form of unruly and riotous protests and processions will not be condoned within their boundaries. The October 2020 *#EndSARS* protests which snowballed into shootings of the processions by the Nigerian Army, remain fresh in popular consciousness. *Amnesty International* reported at least a dozen deaths from that incident, despite rebuttals by the Lagos State Government and the military authorities.

The government of Kano State in its 2025 budget, has made provision for the conduct of mass weddings. The sum of N2.5 Billion has been earmarked for the quarterly mass wedding programme across the 44 local government areas of the state.

The administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, invested N854 million on the mass wedding of 1,800 couples in 2023. Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, recently committed N54 million on the wedding of 300 couples in his state. Budget and Economic Planning Minister, Atiku Bagudu who attended the programme, availed each couple N50,000 as “startup.” Mai Mala Buni, the governor of Yobe State, has also accommodated mass weddings as a major project in the 2025 budget of his state. Immediate past President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan who is also from Yobe State is also reputed to have sponsored mass weddings in his catchment area, ostensibly as part of his “constituency projects.”

Ahead of the Ramadan fast which began Saturday May 1, 2025, a number of state governments in the North, shut down educational institutions, especially primary and secondary schools. The closure is for a period of five weeks which is the duration of the fasting season. Beginning with Bauchi State in the North East, states in the North West including Kano, Katsina, Kebbi and Zamfara, have promptly followed suit. The various governments have proffered that the closures are to ensure focused and unimpeded observance of the Ramadan by the entire gamut of the peoples and populations of their various entities. These school closures have not taken into account the conveniences of non-Muslim students who are also students in these various states.

Before the wholesale mismanagement of Nigeria’s sociocultural diversities by particular leaderships, especially the eight-year regime of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerians had always been very adventurous. They quested socioeconomic opportunities beyond the perimeters of their traditional origins.

This has been said to have accounted for the flattening of Bola Tinubu in his home state of Lagos during the 2023 presidential election which brought him into office. Indeed, a specific settler-ethnicity in Lagos, was fingered for that near electoral humbling of the President. The academic calendars of many of the northern stares under discourse, have reportedly been tweaked to ensure the reopening of schools after the Ramadan-induced forced break.

While parts of the North are prioritising the observance of a religious obligation over and beyond every other consideration, the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, (NBS), reminds us that the core North has the highest numbers of out-of-school children. Urchins, more famously known as *almajiris* in tens of thousands are permanently resident on the streets of several northern towns and cities, clutching begging bowls.

The North is equally notorious for the high prevalence of child marriages, where clearly and visibly underage girls are married off to men old enough to be the age of their grandfathers. This accentuates the very high occurrence of Vesico-Vaginal Fistula, (VVF), among young northern females. Even if comprehensive health education were to be available for young girls, pervading illiteracy remains inimical to orientation and reorientation to stem the trend.

Nigeria’s core North remains averse to the trade and consumption of beverages of certain brands. Yet they desire the perpetuation of the fiscal allocation status quo, which privileges them higher dividends from national Value Added Tax, (VAT), than southern states which actually generate the chunkier taxes. Members of the *Hisbah* corps which enforces the *Shariah* are videoed regularly destroying huge consignment of alcoholic drinks, crippling the businesses of traders in such beverages.

This is just as Saudi Arabia the global exemplar of Islamic religion, has relaxed its laws on alcohol. Non-Muslim diplomats can now procure and savour alcohol stuff. This is a major shift from the total ban on alcohol, which has been in place since 1952. The original law against alcohol provided for the prosecution and incarceration of offenders, while foreigners were summarily deported.

Down South, many governors and governments are pursuing visionary projects to impact on the well-being of their people. Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos and Seyi Makinde are investing massively in agricultural development to ensure sustainable food sufficiency and security. Surpluses will be warehoused in silos and storages, while overflows will be sold.

Among other initiatives, Lagos State is partnering with the *Origin Tech Group,* to develop a five-year agricultural strategic plan. For starters, the partnership has initiated a *Food Logistics Hub* in Epe, Lagos State. Part of the plan is to gradually develop 4.2 million square metres of an agricultural village. A 60-kilometre network of roads are to be built in the settlement out of which about 30% is ready. It is a measure of the seriousness behind this plan, that a five-storey administrative block; a sprawling parking area capable of taking 1,500 trucks per day; a weighbridge, cold and dry storage areas, are already in place.

Makinde has revisited the hitherto moribund *Fashola Farms Estate* which used to be the epicentre of agricultural development in the primordial Western region. The luminous project which runs into several kilometres, sits between Oyo and Iseyin, Makinde has rechristened it the *Fashola Agricbusiness Industrial Hub.* Investors are expressing interest in cultivating a myriad of crops, notably cassava, maize, soybeans, cowpeas, tomatoes, banana and even dairy production. Well over N11 Billion has been committed to revamping the primordial farm with the provision of road infrastructure, factories and warehouses, among other structures. At least a dozen companies have already been established in the agribusiness zone, including *Friesland Campina West African Milk Company Ltd,* (WAMCO), and *Brown Hill Farms Ltd,* which is cultivating vegetables by deploying the *Green House* model.

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, has identified over 12,000 hectares of arable land in his state, out of which the cultivation of 200 hectares last year, returned exponential yields. Abiodun at the harvest of rice from the demonstration farm located at the *Magboro* rice farm in *Obafemi Owode* local government area, boasted that Ogun State could conveniently feed the whole country. The pilot project yielded 1400 metric tonnes of rice, equivalent to 20,000 bags of milled rice, capable of gifting farmers with returns of N1Billion naira every quarter of the year. A cargo airport has been developed by the Abiodun government and approval secured from President Tinubu for the physical area of the airport to serve as a *Special Agro-Cargo Processing Zone* and a *Free Trade Zone.* The project has the potential to create about 50,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Who will grow or provide on a sustainable basis, the food which will feed the newly weds in Kano, Katsina, Kebbi and elsewhere? Who will cater for the *almajiris,* *dan iskas* *and yan dabas* being bred like rabbits out there, who have unwittingly become human furniture on northern streets? Mass weddings, early marriages, school closures for the observance of religious rites, freewill breeding of children without a plan for their futures, are not the pathways to socioeconomic progress.

True, members of the elite like the senior parliamentarian representing *Doguwa/Tudun Wada* federal constituency in Kano, Ado Doguwa, may have four wives and 28 children. He is a fifth-term member of the legislature who has been Chief Whip and Majority Leader, respectively. Not everyone from his part of Nigeria, however, is as fiscally fortunate as he is.

As things stand today, the core North cannot aspire to catchup with, let alone overshoot the multisectoral mileages already attained by the South. It needs pursue immediate, intentional and conscientious rethinking, reorientation and recalibration, to get off the starting blocks.

*Tunde Olusunle, PhD, Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors, (FANA), is an Adjunct Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Abuja.*

By Sonny Aragba-Akpore

Most people who are information technology (IT) savvy have some understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI) but beyond textbook knowledge,not many of them truly understand its domestic and autonomous capabilities.

AI is capable of doing virtually everything possible for humanity including possibly how to make babies,so we are told.

When sometime ago,AI was used to conduct a full church service on a Sunday in Europe,it was a marvel.But AI has gone beyond that.

The International Telecommunications Union ( ITU) is thinking outside the box as it prepares ground for autonomous AI by formulation of policies and ground rules.

And these ensure a new wave of autonomous AI—capable of reasoning, acting independently, and scaling at unprecedented speed,rapidly reshaping the technological landscape.
The rise of “agentic AI” and powerful, low-cost AI models is making artificial intelligence cheaper, more widely available, and potentially more energy efficient—but also harder to regulate.

With some prominent CEOs predicting human-level AI within two to three years, concerns are mounting over safety risks, weakened guardrails, and the challenge of responsible governance.
These pressing issues will be the focus of the AI for Good Global Summit 2025, the United Nations’ leading platform advancing AI in service of sustainable development, in Geneva, Switzerland from July 8–11,2025.

The expanded, four-day gathering will also showcase progress on advanced robotics, autonomous mobility, quantum computing, AI in space, and brain-computer interfaces.

Hosted by the ITU,the UN agency for digital technologies, the goal of AI for Good is to identify trustworthy applications of AI, build AI skills and standards, and strengthen global dialogue on AI governance for sustainable development.

“As AI development accelerates, so does the urgency to keep innovation aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “AI for Good is where the world comes together to ensure these technologies are safe, responsible, and leave no one behind.”

At the AI for Good Global Summit 2025, leading experts from governments, industry, academia, civil society, and the UN will explore how AI is reshaping our world, tackling urgent challenges such as safety, employment, sustainability, privacy, security, governance, and its broader societal and economic impacts.

Among the AI visionaries set to present are Geoffrey Hinton, AI pioneer and Nobel Prize winner; Yoshua Bengio, Founder and Scientific Director of Mila – Quebec AI Institute and Turing Award winner; Sasha Luccioni, AI & Climate Lead of open-source AI developer Hugging Face; and other prominent voices.

Responding to the Global Digital Compact, adopted in 2024 by the UN General Assembly, the AI for Good Global Summit 2025 will provide a global platform for dialogue to advance AI governance, standards, and capacity building. As AI adoption accelerates, the Summit aims to inform policies and drive solutions that ensure AI is developed and deployed responsibly, fairly, and for the benefit of all.​

Yet, a global AI governance gap persists—an ITU survey found that 55 per cent of Member States lack a national AI strategy, and 85 per cent have no AI-specific regulations.

To address this, the Summit will host ITU’s second AI Governance Day on July 10,focusing on safety, trust, international standards, and bridging the regulatory gap, while also tackling the urgent need to build AI skills and capacity, especially in developing countries.

On July 11 ,2025 the Summit will host an International AI Standards Exchange, bringing together leading global standards bodies to strengthen AI’s technical backbone, ensuring interoperability, safety, and inclusive standards development.

“ITU is driving the development of a trusted and interoperable AI ecosystem,” said Seizo Onoe, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau.

“Our AI standards are supporting innovation in areas from network orchestration and energy efficiency to multimedia coding and content authenticity. Our International AI Standards Exchange will help keep up global momentum on the technical underpinnings of responsible AI.”

The newly established AI for Good Awards, presented in partnership with Tech To The Rescue​, will recognize groundbreaking AI solutions that contribute to global progress on sustainable development with categories including AI for People, AI for Planet, and AI for Prosperity. Applications for awards will open soon.

The AI for Good Global Summit is organized by ITU together with 47 partner UN agencies. The yearly event, co-convened by the Government of Switzerland, is free of charge and open to everyone.

This year, AI for Good makes its debut at Palexpo, Geneva’s largest event venue and exposition centre.

Apart from the ITU which has put in place some ground rules in the deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning(ML),with International Standard Organisation (ISO),there are ongoing advocacies for entrenchment of ethics to minimise abuse of the use of AI across global communities.

AI ethics are the moral principles that companies and individuals use to guide responsible and fair development and use of AI.

Although there’s currently no wide-scale governing body to write and enforce these rules, many technology companies have adopted their own version of AI ethics or an AI code of conduct.

AI ethics are the set of guiding principles that stakeholders (from engineers to government officials) use to ensure artificial intelligence technology is developed and used responsibly. This means taking a safe, secure, humane, and environmentally friendly approach to AI.

A strong AI code of ethics can include avoiding bias, ensuring privacy of users and their data, and mitigating environmental risks. Codes of ethics in companies and government-led regulatory frameworks are two main ways that AI ethics can be implemented. By covering global and national ethical AI issues, and laying the policy groundwork for ethical AI in companies, both approaches help regulate AI technology.

The future will see large parts of our lives influenced by Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. Machines can execute repetitive tasks with complete precision, and with recent advances in AI, machines are gaining the ability to learn, improve and make calculated decisions in ways that will enable them to perform tasks previously thought to rely on human experience, creativity, and ingenuity.

AI innovation will be central to the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by capitalizing on the unprecedented quantities of data now being generated on sentiment behavior, human health, commerce, communications, migration and more.

ITU will provide a neutral platform for government, industry and academia to build a common understanding of the capabilities of emerging AI technologies and consequent needs for technical standardization and policy guidance.
Countries must put in conscious efforts to mitigate the dangers of deployment if they want to achieve positive results.

Speaking during a digital press briefing on the review of the: “Global Inclusivity and AI-Africa Conference” as well as its responsible use, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, Joy Basu, stated that while it was great to grab the opportunities provided by the use of AI, the world must also learn to reduce its negative impact.

“Many of us know the risks that are both applicable in Africa but also in the United States.

There’s a lot of humility we have about understanding that none of us can control these risks alone and that it will really be a global conversation.
“You also have a number of risks particularly around elections. This is a year where so many countries are voting, including our own, and we all have to be aware of those risks.

“Regardless of the ways in which the risks manifest, one key mitigating solution that was discussed is ensuring that our populations are AI-equipped and are AI-ready and that they have not only the skills to take advantage of an AI workforce, but they have the critical thinking skills to be able to assess truth from fiction and disinformation and understand what those risks are and the way that they interact with AI,” Basu said.

She added that there was also a robust conversation throughout the conference about these various concerns as well as about the lack of certain kinds of data and languages and making sure these AI models are built in ways that are inclusive.

When the ITU hosted the yearly Global Seminar for Regulators(GSR),in Kampala,Uganda,in early in July 2024,Secretary General, Bogdan-Martin told the regulators that “With change being the only certainty facing regulators and policymakers, we must work together to pursue regulatory approaches to leverage transformative technologies such as AI, promote the space economy, encourage innovation, and support climate action and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
The regulators who met in Kampala,Uganda endorsed a set of guidelines to maximize the benefits of transformative information and communication technologies (ICTs) at the Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR-24) which closed July 4 .

GSR 24 highlighted Africa’s National Broadband Mapping Systems project, supported by the European Commission, to help establish broadband mapping systems to foster investment and digital transformation in Africa.

With a budget of EUR 15 million over four years, the project will initially benefit 11 countries: Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The “GSR-24 Best Practice Guidelines​” agreed by ICT regulators include a series of considerations for balancing innovation with regulation to create a positive impact on societies and economies from emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).