PM Says AI Can Drive Inclusive Prosperity in Africa, Help Realize Goals of Agenda 2063

Addis Ababa, May 17, 2025 (ENA) -- Africa is entering a new era where homegrown Artificial Intelligence (AI) can drive inclusive prosperity and help realize the goals of Agenda 2063, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed noted.  

Speaking at the AI for Africa program organized as part of the Ethiopian Tech Expo 2025, the premier emphasized the importance of AI for Africa’s transformation by addressing pressing challenges the continent is confronting.

According to him, AI is no longer a distant dream but the engine of transformation across sectors, geographies and societies.

“Many of Africa's pressing challenges, such as agricultural inefficiencies, health care gaps, poor education, youth unemployment, regular migration and inefficient public service can be addressed through high powered solutions.”

 

Hence, the PM stressed that Africa must lead with bold inclusive policies, agile regulation and accelerated skill development emphasizing the need for Africa to claim ownership of its data, the foundation of artificial intelligence.

“Data sovereignty is not just technical. It affirms our right to shape our own future by investing in local data infrastructure, promoting ethical data use, and setting standards aligned with our values so as reduce dependency on external technologies, and unlock AI’s full potential for Africa.”

 

Elaborating about Ethiopia’s endeavors in the development of the sector, Abiy stated that the country has made a bold decision five years ago.

“We recognized that artificial Intelligence is more than a tool. It is a transformative force. We made a deliberate choice not to remain passive consumers of imported innovation, but to become active contributors, leveraging AI to address challenges grounded in our own realities.”