Media Rights Agenda (MRA) on Monday called for the development and adoption of a comprehensive Pan-African framework on Artificial Intelligence (AI) grounded in human rights, democratic accountability, inclusion, and African digital sovereignty, arguing that no single African country has sufficient leverage and resources to address the critical challenges alone.
In a statement issued in Lagos to mark the 2026 Africa Day, MRA observed that the rapid global expansion of AI technologies presents Africa with both unprecedented opportunities and serious risks, warning that unless African countries work collectively to shape the governance, development and deployment of AI systems, the continent risks becoming merely a consumer of technologies designed elsewhere, without adequate regard for African realities, cultures, languages, or developmental priorities.
MRA’s Program Officer, Ms Ayomide Eweje, pointed out that Africa Day commemorates the founding of the Organization of African Unity in 1963 and reaffirms the vision of a united, free, and prosperous Africa, adding that the vision now extends to the digital domain.
Noting that AI is already transforming diverse sectors, including journalism, governance, education, elections, business, security, public communication, healthcare, and access to information across the world, with profound implications for democracy, freedom of expression, media freedom, civic participation, and socio-economic development in Africa, she insisted that as the African Union (AU) advances its continental AI strategy the principles of Pan-Africanism must guide how Africa develops, governs, and benefits from AI.
According to her, while AI technologies can support innovation, expand access to knowledge, strengthen public service delivery, improve the conduct of elections, and help combat misinformation and disinformation, they can also be used to facilitate mass surveillance, manipulate public opinion, spread deepfakes and synthetic disinformation, undermine democratic processes, reinforce discrimination, and suppress civic space.
Ms Eweje, therefore, urged African governments, regional bodies and institutions, civil society organizations, media professionals, academic institutions, technology experts, and citizens to work collaboratively to develop a distinctly African, rights-respecting, people-centred, and development-oriented AI governance architecture for the continent.
She suggested that such a Pan-African AI framework should be anchored on key principles, including respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, particularly the protection of freedom of expression and media independence, as well as the protection of privacy and personal data; transparency and accountability in algorithmic systems, public oversight of AI deployment by governments and corporations, and the inclusion of African languages, cultures and knowledge systems.
Ms Eweje also proposed that due regard should be given to the prevention of algorithmic discrimination and bias, open access to public-interest data, ethical innovation and responsible AI development, digital inclusion and equitable access to AI technologies, the strengthening of media and information literacy, the protection of electoral integrity and democratic participation, as well as regional cooperation and African digital sovereignty.
She stressed that Africa must avoid reproducing patterns of digital dependency and “data colonialism” in which African populations merely supply data to global technology corporations without meaningful control, ownership, accountability, or economic benefit and called on the AU to initiate an inclusive continental process towards the adoption of an African Charter or Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Rights that reflects Africa’s democratic aspirations and developmental needs.
Ms Eweje also urged African governments to ensure that AI strategies, policies and regulations are developed transparently and through broad multi-stakeholder consultations that involve civil society organizations and human rights advocates, youth groups, women’s organizations, persons with disabilities, journalists and media organizations, academic institutions, and technology communities.
According to her, media and information literacy must become a central pillar of Africa’s AI future as citizens across the continent need to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to identify misinformation, understand algorithmic systems, recognize synthetic media and deepfakes, and participate meaningfully in digital governance processes.
Ms Eweje noted that Africa Day offered an important opportunity not only to celebrate African unity and shared aspirations but also to reimagine the continent’s digital future in ways that promote democratic resilience, human dignity, social inclusion, and technological self-determination.
She reaffirmed MRA’s readiness and commitment to working with partners and other stakeholders across Africa and globally to promote digital rights, freedom of expression, access to information, media freedom, democratic accountability, and ethical approaches to emerging technologies.
