en.Wedoany.com Reported - Uganda's Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Monica Musenero Masanza, recently issued a call at the Gitex Kenya AI Everything Summit held in Nairobi, Kenya, urging African governments to stop viewing artificial intelligence merely as a technology and instead see it as a platform for economic transformation.
In her summit speech, Masanza went straight to the heart of the issue. She stated that while AI was initially considered a technology within the Fourth Industrial Revolution, it has grown to encompass all other technologies. She pointed out: "Industrial revolutions, though presented in the form of cutting-edge technologies, are fundamentally economic revolutions. They redefine how people and nations do business, develop themselves, and grow." Masanza emphasized that this is the first industrial revolution the African continent has participated in—Africa was unable to truly take part in the previous three. She stated bluntly: "This is Africa's industrial revolution. It will change everything, and we need to understand that."
Masanza offered sharp criticism of Africa's current passive role in the AI field. She noted that because Africa started slightly late, the continent has so far merely been consuming AI rather than focusing on its economic opportunities. She stated: "We are viewing AI as a technology and are pushing to invest in it as a technology. We have not yet actively positioned it as a new platform for economic and socio-economic transformation." She further used a vivid metaphor to describe the necessary mindset shift—Africa needs to realize that AI is "the new soil on which we cultivate wealth," rather than continuing to see AI merely as a technology.
When discussing economic benefits, Masanza posed a question that African leaders cannot avoid: "Where is the money?" Citing data, she noted that while Africa's AI market size is projected to soar from $4.5 billion in 2025 to $16.5 billion by 2030, the continent currently captures only 1% of the global AI wealth in this worldwide wave. She stressed that African leaders and policymakers need to change their mindset, shifting from passively consuming technology to actively understanding and leveraging AI to create economic value.
Uganda's own actions also underscore Masanza's sense of urgency. According to media reports, the Ugandan government is drafting a National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies, which will focus on four key areas: precision agriculture, medical diagnostic tools, education, and public administration. It is expected to be ready by June this year. Furthermore, Uganda has announced it will host the Digital Government Africa Summit in 2026, which will serve as an important platform for discussing digital transformation, AI governance, and cybersecurity. However, Uganda's current investment in science, technology, and innovation stands at only 0.17% of its GDP, a significant gap from the 2.5% target set in its Vision 2040.
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