Global tech giants Google and Meta have called for greater AI sovereignty in Africa, urging stakeholders to build data and technology systems that reflect the continent’s languages, cultures, and priorities.
They made the call at the Africa Soft Power Summit 2025, held in Nairobi from May 21 to 25.
Speaking during a high-level panel on artificial intelligence, Partnerships Lead at Google Research Africa, Lorna Omondi, said the company is focused on training AI models using African datasets and supporting multilingual access for underserved communities.
“AI must solve the problems that matter most to African users in agriculture, healthcare, energy, and legal services,” Omondi said.
“We source language data locally, and place it in open markets so that African startups can innovate on the same foundations we are building on,” she added.
Meta’s Vice President of Public Policy for Africa, the Middle East, and Türkiye, Kojo Boakye, also echoed the call for digital sovereignty, emphasizing the urgency for Africa to move beyond being a consumer of AI technologies to becoming a co-creator and global contributor.
The summit
While AI and digital sovereignty were key themes, the summit, now in its fourth edition, explored Africa’s growing influence across culture, policy, gender, and innovation.
- Over five days, the event brought together leaders from across the continent and the diaspora for a rich slate of discussions, exhibitions, and celebrations.
- The Remarkable African Women’s Leadership Conference, which marked the formal opening of the main convention, began with a powerful keynote by Member of Parliament for Samburu West, Kenya, Hon. Naisula Lesuuda.
- She warned against “inclusion fatigue” in diversity efforts, calling for deeper, systemic change starting from how leadership and authority are conceptualized in African societies.
“DEI must move beyond buzzwords. We need a shift in mindset, language, and structure,” she said.
That message was reinforced by the Founder of the Africa Soft Power Group, Dr. Nkiru Balonwu, who emphasized that Africa must define its own DEI frameworks and lead its global engagement through self-determined narratives.
She stressed the power of African soft power to influence not just cultural exports, but also global economic and policy conversations.
More insight
Organizers of the summit have announced that a post-event report will soon be published, capturing key insights and outlining new models for African innovation and creativity.
With themes ranging from AI governance and digital inclusion to creative industry policy and gender equity, the summit demonstrated that Africa’s future lies not just in catching up but in setting the pace.
The week-long summit reached a cultural crescendo with the ASP Gala & Awards, held at the JW Marriott Nairobi with recognitions for pioneers in tech, media, fashion, and governance, affirming the summit’s broader mission: to elevate African excellence on a global stage.
