The African Union, through its African Scientific Research and Innovation Council (AU-ASRIC), has appointed Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami as Co-Chairman for the formulation and development of the 4th Industrial Revolution Policy and Strategy for the continent’s 54 member countries.
Professor Pantami is a leading researcher and advocate for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). He is recognized as the first African Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Information Security in the United Kingdom. Pantami’s previous roles include serving as the Director General of Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), where he played a pivotal role in establishing the National Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR). During his tenure as Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, he was instrumental in developing the country’s first Digital Economy Policy, which prominently features a focus on Digital Society and Emerging Technologies.
Joining Professor Pantami as Co-Chair of the council is Professor Anicia Nicola Peter from Namibia. Professor Peter is affiliated with the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology and serves as an adjunct Research Professor at the University of Namibia. She previously chaired Namibia’s 4IR Presidential Task Force and specializes in areas such as Human-Computer Interaction, Social Media, Gamification, E-Participation, Gender, E-Government, E-Health, and Human-Centered AI.
The council also includes other esteemed academics and policymakers, such as Professor Khaleed Ghedira from Tunisia, Professor Maha Grima from Morocco, and Professors Mongi Nouira and Munir Frija.
Once the African Union adopts the 4IR policy, it will be incumbent upon all member states to rigorously implement it. The Fourth Industrial Revolution offers Africa a unique opportunity to leapfrog in critical areas like Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity, areas where the continent has previously lagged.
The proactive efforts of the African Union and Dr. Muhammad Kyari, Executive Director of AU-ASRIC, have been widely praised by experts across Africa, who see these initiatives as crucial for driving the continent’s industrialization in the 21st century.
