As African nations accelerate their push to establish artificial intelligence (AI) governance frameworks, a leading policy expert has warned that these systems risk entrenching a new era of digital exclusion, leaving millions of offline citizens outside the decision-making processes that will define the continent’s future.
Fahidat Abdullahi, Policy Advisor at the Africa Digital Inclusion Alliance, issued the warning during the online Participatory AI Research & Practice Symposium. She argued that many emerging AI governance models in Africa are built on “digital participation models” that assume universal connectivity a dangerous assumption on a continent where significant digital access gaps persist.
In her presentation, titled “Rethinking Participatory AI Governance Under Digital Inequity,” Abdullahi noted that while participatory governance is often framed as a democratic ideal, it becomes exclusionary when it relies solely on digital channels.
“The problem here is that many AI governance processes rely on digital mechanisms,” Abdullahi stated. “There is an assumption that citizens can participate through online portals, virtual consultations, and web-based feedback platforms.”
The Inclusion Gap:
• Offline Exclusion: Governance frameworks that rely on online consultations automatically exclude those without internet access.
• Uneven Legitimacy: When baseline digital access is uneven, the “participatory legitimacy” of the resulting laws and policies is compromised.
• Expert Bias: In Nigeria, for instance, the AI strategy development engaged over 120 experts, yet the process remains heavily dependent on digital channels, potentially ignoring the 55% of Nigerians who remain offline.
The expert warned that this lack of inclusive framing is not just a procedural flaw but a threat to social equity. As governments expand AI deployment across critical sectors including healthcare, education, finance, and security those who are not represented in the governance phase risk being marginalized by the technology’s application.
“When we do not have the full consideration of digitally excluded individuals, the risk is that as we’re advancing AI development, we risk widening the digital divide,” Abdullahi cautioned.
To prevent AI from becoming a tool for systemic discrimination, Abdullahi called for a radical shift in how policies are drafted. She urged African governments to move beyond treating offline participation as a “supplementary measure” and instead embed it as a core necessity.
Recommendations for Inclusive Governance:
• Intermediary Mechanisms: Utilizing community leaders, local organizations, and physical town halls to gather feedback from non-digital users.
• Hybrid Consultations: Combining digital platforms with traditional, localized outreach to ensure “legitimate” representation.
• No One-Size-Fits-All: Recognizing that African AI governance must reflect local socio-economic realities rather than just mimicking Western digital-first models.
The discussion at the symposium highlights a growing tension in Africa’s tech landscape: the desire to lead in global innovation versus the reality of local infrastructure. As the National AI Strategy in Nigeria and similar frameworks across the continent move toward enforcement, the message from policy experts is clear for AI to be truly transformative, its rules must be written by everyone, not just those with an internet connection.
