Africa’s AI push raises questions over control of data infrastructure

African governments are moving quickly to bring artificial intelligence into public policy and the wider economy, but the buildout is exposing a harder question: who will own and control the systems underneath it. Al Jazeera reported that the debate has shifted from AI adoption alone to the data centres, cloud services, regulation and financing that will shape how the technology is used.

The issue was on the agenda in April when African Union ministers met in Tangier, Morocco, as countries across the continent worked on AI plans and sought new investment. According to Al Jazeera, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and Ghana have published national AI strategies that emphasize local skills and lower dependence on outside technology providers.

Ghana’s strategy, released in April, describes AI as a sovereign capability, Al Jazeera reported. Forty-nine countries and the African Union have also backed the Africa Declaration on Artificial Intelligence, which calls for more investment in African AI infrastructure, talent and innovation, along with coordinated financing proposals.

Foreign investment meets local constraints

Al Jazeera reported that the push is unfolding as major technology companies, cloud providers and governments compete for data, computing capacity and new markets. Priyal Singh, a geopolitical analyst at Signal Risk, told Al Jazeera that competition among global AI players could give African states more room to set terms on data and infrastructure deals.

Singh cited regulatory disputes around Starlink’s expansion in parts of Africa as evidence that governments are becoming more willing to press large technology companies on local requirements, according to Al Jazeera.

The bargaining power is limited by Africa’s infrastructure gap. Industry estimates cited by Al Jazeera say the continent has less than 1 percent of global data centre capacity, while it has about 18 percent of the world’s population. McKinsey research cited by Al Jazeera found that Africa’s five biggest data centre markets together have less capacity than France.

Electricity supply remains another constraint in many countries, Al Jazeera reported. That makes data centre deals politically sensitive because AI infrastructure needs reliable power, long-term capital and decisions about where information is stored and processed.

Kenya deal puts costs in view

A proposed $1bn data centre project involving Microsoft and Emirati technology company G42 in Kenya has become a key example, according to Al Jazeera. Kenyan President William Ruto has pointed to the project’s heavy energy needs and said a facility of that scale would require major additional power generation.

Al Jazeera reported that discussions have also covered commercial terms and long-term commitments tied to computing capacity. Kenyan officials have said talks are continuing.

Sanusha Naidu, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Global Dialogue, told Al Jazeera that governments are weighing partnerships with US, European and Chinese firms through a broader cost-benefit lens. She said policymakers must consider what countries receive in return for hosting these investments.

Naidu also compared today’s AI infrastructure debate with earlier foreign investment in industries such as textiles, where host countries often subsidized incoming investors, according to Al Jazeera. She said data centres add more pressure because they can consume large amounts of water, with possible social and economic effects.

Public trust remains a risk

The concern extends beyond data centres. Al Jazeera reported that African governments have adopted foreign-built cloud systems, digital public services, surveillance tools and smart city technologies over the past decade, while debates over data protection and digital sovereignty have grown.

Joseph Asunka, chief executive of Afrobarometer, told Al Jazeera that AI and data negotiations should not stay confined to officials, regulators and companies. He warned that weak public trust could hurt the use of fintech, e-commerce and e-government services.

Development efforts are also trying to build local capacity. Al Jazeera cited the United Nations Development Programme’s timbuktoo initiative as one project supporting African technology ecosystems through innovation, entrepreneurship and digital infrastructure.

African countries are not seeking full self-sufficiency in AI, according to Al Jazeera. The central policy fight is over the conditions attached to foreign investment and the degree of control governments and citizens retain over digital systems that will increasingly affect economies and public services.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.