Dr. Bawumia Outlines 6-Step Plan for Africa’s AI Leadership | Discuss Ghana

On Saturday, March 28, 2026, former Vice President and 2028 NPP flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia delivered a keynote address at the LSE Africa Summit 2026 at the London School of Economics.

Speaking on the theme "Artificial Intelligence and Uniting Borders," Dr. Bawumia warned that Africa must move beyond being a "passive consumer" of imported tools and instead become a "co-author" of the global AI narrative. He proposed six concrete policy commitments to build a competitive continental AI ecosystem.

---

The Six Policy Steps for AI Leadership

Dr. Bawumia argued that technological revolutions reward those who build foundations before chasing applications:

Build AI Foundations: Prioritize massive investment in reliable electricity (the "non-negotiable" for AI), high-speed broadband, and secure data infrastructure aligned with a continental strategy.

Build Trustworthy Data Ecosystems: Ensure digitalization produces high-quality, representative, and lawfully governed data so that African AI reflects African realities and languages.

Build Talent at Scale: Reform curricula and launch workforce programs to transition from basic AI literacy to advanced research, targeting specific labor-market needs.

Build Procurement Capacity: Move government efforts beyond "fragile pilots" to responsible, large-scale deployment with clear accountability, audits, and measurable outcomes.

Build Ethics into Practice: Adopt mandatory impact assessments, transparency, and human oversight for "high-stakes" AI systems to protect citizen rights.

Build Cross-Border Scale: Harmonize rules and use continental instruments (like the AfCFTA) to make African markets interoperable for digital trade and AI-enabled services.

---

"No AI Without Digitalization"

Dr. Bawumia highlighted Ghana's digital success—specifically the biometric Ghana Card and digital address system—as the essential "rails" for AI:

Identity at Scale: As of February 13, 2026, Ghana has enrolled over 19.3 million citizens in its national biometric system.

Meaningful Connectivity: He stressed that the goal isn't just "who is online," but who has meaningful access with affordable data and adequate speeds.

Warning on Costs: He cautioned that the high cost of mobile data remains a major barrier, potentially widening inequalities if not addressed by urgent policy intervention.

---

Snapshot: Africa’s Digital Readiness (2026)

Country	Electricity Access (2023)	Readiness Strength
Ghana	89.5%	Strong Government Pillar (59.53).
South Africa	87.7%	Strong Data & Infrastructure (65.28).
Kenya	76.2%	High connectivity growth.
Rwanda	63.9%	Strong innovation ecosystem.

"Africa is poised to shape the global AI conversation not as a passive consumer, but as a builder of responsible systems that reflect our values, our languages, and our development priorities." — Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.