Africa: Who Is Missing From Africa's AI Future?

What the report says

In an AllAfrica guest column published on 29 September 2026, Mary-Ann Etiebet, president and CEO of Vital Strategies, argues that Africa’s push into artificial intelligence should begin with something more basic: whether people are counted and recognized by public systems in the first place. Writing after the UNGA81 discussions and the Unstoppable Africa session, she highlights comments from Rwanda’s Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva and Sierra Leone’s Chief Minister David Moinina Sengeh as examples of broader debate about digital infrastructure, data extraction and inclusion.

Etiebet says the region’s AI future depends on civil registration, identity systems, interoperable public services and data governance. She notes that many children in sub-Saharan Africa still lack birth registration, and warns that if people are missing from official records, governments cannot easily track access to health care, education or social protection. She also points to the risk that AI tools may reinforce exclusion if the data they learn from does not reflect the full population.

The column cites ongoing country efforts such as Kenya’s Maisha Namba, Rwanda’s long-running work linking civil registration and public services, and Ethiopia’s Fayda digital ID program. In the author’s view, these examples show that the priority is not simply deploying more AI, but building public foundations that let African institutions shape technology and make sure its benefits reach people often left out of official systems.