A new report by APHRC, SFA Foundation and GSMA warns that despite progress in developing data governance policies, Africa remains heavily constrained by limited computing infrastructure, inadequate financing and technical capacity.
African researchers are calling for stronger local ownership and control of data as the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) exposes gaps in the continent's ability to manage, finance and sustain its knowledge systems.
A new report by the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC), the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation) and the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) warns that despite progress in developing data governance policies, Africa remains heavily constrained by limited computing infrastructure, inadequate financing and technical capacity.
The Africa Evidence Outlook report, launched on Wednesday during the 3rd Africa Health and Development Annual Research Symposium (AHDARS) in Nairobi, notes that the continent risks losing control of its data and knowledge assets unless it invests in systems that can be managed and sustained by African institutions.
The report, which examined more than 20 data and knowledge systems across health, education, genomics, research and AI, argues that the challenge is no longer simply collecting data but ensuring African institutions have the capacity to govern, maintain and use it.
It further highlights the gap between Africa's contribution to global scientific research and its capacity to…
