Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, has called on African governments to invest heavily in digital infrastructure and local expertise, warning that the continent risks remaining technologically dependent if it continues to rely on foreign-controlled systems.
Dr. Apaak made the remarks during a ministerial roundtable discussion at the eLearning Africa Conference held at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra on Wednesday, where policymakers and experts examined strategies for advancing digital transformation and artificial intelligence across the continent.
According to him, one of Africa’s greatest challenges is the lack of continent-owned digital infrastructure, a situation that limits the continent’s ability to control its technological future.
“So for me, that is the biggest challenge that we ought to be addressing, where we can mobilise our own resources to build our own infrastructure, train our own experts as part of the effort to domesticate AI in a way that would protect our history, our culture, and our value systems,” he said.
Dr. Apaak argued that Africa must take deliberate steps to ensure emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, are developed and deployed in ways that reflect the continent’s realities, values, and development priorities.
He also questioned whether Africa could achieve genuine technological independence while relying on platforms and systems controlled by foreign technology companies.
“If we are going to depend on the same entities whose agendas we cannot tell, do you really think that will allow us to be independent and to use technology the way we want to?” he asked.
The Deputy Minister expressed concern about the continent’s limited presence in the global technology industry, noting that Africa has yet to produce one of the world’s leading technology companies.
“Because if out of the ten global giants in the area of technology, not even one is African, nine are American, and if our emails have to still bounce off Europe and America to get to us, then what is really our basis for trying to assert some semblance of independence?” he said.
To address the challenge, Dr. Apaak proposed the establishment of a continental funding mechanism dedicated to building Africa’s digital infrastructure.
“So in my own thinking, part of what we should be looking at is to get African governments to commit at least about 1–2% of their annual GDP towards a pool or a fund that would support the building of continental-level digital infrastructure,” he stated.
He said such an investment would provide the foundation needed to develop local technological capacity, support innovation, and accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence across the continent.
Dr. Apaak further cautioned that discussions about digital transformation and AI would remain largely aspirational unless African governments commit the necessary financial resources.
“Thinking through all that we have said, fantastic ideas, very worthy of implementation, but Madam Chair, without the resources, how far can we go?” he asked.
He urged African leaders to work collectively to mobilise resources, build local expertise, and develop the infrastructure needed to secure the continent’s digital future and reduce dependence on external technology providers.
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