By Chinenye Anuforo
Oluwaseun Dania, Managing Director of Alpha-Geek Technologies and one of the leading voices in African technology, has urged global leaders to ensure Africa is not sidelined in the governance of artificial intelligence (AI).
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on the launch of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance in New York, Dania stressed that Africa’s 1.4 billion people, home to the world’s youngest workforce, must play an active role in shaping the future of AI.
“In a world where AI is reshaping destinies, this dialogue must ensure no continent or community is left behind,” he said.
Dania, known for championing innovation with equity, noted that the true measure of AI’s success should not only be GDP growth but how it uplifts lives. He explained that Africa, already an early adopter of mobile-first technologies, is well-positioned to be a co-creator in the global AI revolution. He pointed to the continent’s potential to leapfrog infrastructure gaps, build secure digital economies, and drive fintech revolutions, including stablecoin initiatives.
However, he cautioned that AI comes with risks. Drawing from his experience in information security, Dania warned about deepfakes that undermine trust, biased algorithms that reinforce inequality, and unchecked data monopolies that could widen the North-South divide.
Referencing Nigeria’s efforts to address these challenges, he noted that in April 2025, the federal government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, launched the National AI Strategy. Developed in partnership with the Nigerian Artificial Intelligence Research Scheme (NAIRS) and the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), the strategy is designed to drive economic growth, foster ethical innovation, and build skills for the future. It projects a 27 per cent annual market expansion through 2030, an additional $15 billion contribution to GDP, and training for 70 per cent of Nigeria’s young workforce in AI capabilities within the same period.
Dania argued that global governance of AI must not be shaped solely in the echo chambers of Silicon Valley or Geneva boardrooms. He put forward three priorities to ensure innovation is matched with equity: equitable access to open-source AI and funding for innovators in the Global South, ethical safeguards led by African standards rooted in the value of ubuntu, and resilient infrastructure that deploys AI for development while protecting against misuse.
He closed his address by urging the international community to treat the AI dialogue as a covenant for a just future. “Africa is ready to co-create, not merely comply,” he declared.
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