\n<\/p>\n
A high-level panel discussion on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Human Rights<\/strong> was held on October 19, 2025<\/strong>, bringing together legal experts, civil society advocates, and policymakers to examine the ethical, legal, and social implications of AI across Africa.<\/p>\n Organised with participation from Avocats sans fronti\u00e8res France<\/strong>, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD)<\/strong>, Baobab Bytes<\/strong>, Dada\u00efdes<\/strong>, and the European Union Delegation to Nigeria<\/strong>, the session was moderated by representatives from the University of Lagos<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The panel underscored the urgent need for comprehensive AI legislation<\/strong> on the continent, noting that while Africa has adopted regional instruments like the African Union Convention on Cybersecurity and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention)<\/strong>, few countries have enacted binding national AI laws<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Using Nigeria<\/strong> and Ghana<\/strong> as case studies, panellists pointed to persistent policy gaps<\/strong>, insufficient regulatory oversight<\/strong>, and limited technical capacity<\/strong> to govern AI systems effectively.<\/p>\n St\u00e9phanie Lamy<\/strong>, founder of Dada\u00efdes<\/strong>, drew attention to the unequal global AI ecosystem<\/strong>, describing how foreign AI companies often operate as \u201cextractive industries\u201d<\/strong> in Africa\u2014harvesting local data without contributing meaningfully to local capacity-building or value creation.<\/p>\n The discussion also explored cyberaddiction<\/strong>, algorithmic manipulation<\/strong>, opaque decision-making processes<\/strong>, and data sovereignty<\/strong> as key risks that require urgent policy attention.<\/p>\n The International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)<\/strong> called for a human rights-based approach<\/strong> to AI regulation, emphasizing protections for privacy, freedom of expression<\/strong>, and non-discrimination<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Panellists agreed that AI ethics frameworks<\/strong> must be grounded in African legal traditions, linguistic diversity<\/strong>, and socioeconomic realities<\/strong>, ensuring that technology advances do not undermine civil liberties or deepen inequality.<\/p>\n The session concluded with a shared commitment to collaborative governance<\/strong>, urging governments, academia, and civil society to co-develop AI policies that balance innovation with accountability<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Participants also highlighted the economic potential of AI in multilingual Africa<\/strong>, noting that local language technologies<\/strong> could expand access, inclusion, and representation across the continent\u2019s digital ecosystems.<\/p>\n As Africa\u2019s AI sector accelerates, the panel\u2019s consensus was clear: rights, transparency, and local ownership must form the foundation of the continent\u2019s AI future.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n
\nGaps in Africa\u2019s AI Legal Frameworks<\/h3>\n
\n\u201cAI Is an Extractive Industry in Africa\u201d<\/h3>\n
\nHuman Rights and Ethical AI<\/h3>\n
\nThe Way Forward<\/h3>\n