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African Union (AU) Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy Amani, Abou-Zeid has urged African public and private sector actors to embrace digital technology advancements to promote the continent’s socio-economic development.

Abou-Zeid stated that the African continent needs to invest in digital infrastructure and skill development to stay at the forefront of digital technology advancements.

She made the call ahead of the AU’s biennial ministerial meeting, which will be held later this week to advance Africa’s digital agenda.

According to Abou-Zeid, any digital transformation strategy in Africa must begin with the people and communities it seeks to serve.

The AU official believes that digital technologies such as mobile money, e-commerce, and e-learning have the potential to create new opportunities if designed with African users in mind.

Abou-Zeid said that the Draft Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy aims to position Africa at the forefront of ethical and inclusive use of artificial intelligence for socioeconomic development.

The Draft Conceptual Framework of the Continental Strategy on Artificial Intelligence (AI) is projected to contribute a staggering 15.7 trillion dollars to global GDP, with 6.6 trillion dollars coming from increased productivity and 9.1 trillion dollars from consumption effects by 2030.