The African Union, through the African Scientific Research and Innovation Council (AU-ASRIC), has appointed Professor Isa Pantami as Co-Chairman for the development of the 4th Industrial Revolution Policy and Strategy for Africa’s 54 countries.
Professor Pantami, a former Nigerian Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, is recognized for his work in advancing the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He is the first African Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Information Security in the UK.
Previously, he served as Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and was involved in establishing the National Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR).
The other co-chair is Professor Anicia Nicola Peter from Namibia’s National Commission on Research, Science, and Technology and an adjunct research professor at the University of Namibia.
Professor Nicola chaired Namibia’s 4IR Presidential Task Force and her research focuses on human-computer interaction, social media, gamification, e-participation, gender, e-government, e-health, and human-centered AI.
The council includes other academics and policymakers, such as Professor Khaleed Ghedira from Tunisia, Professor Maha Grima from Morocco, Professor Mongi Nouira, and Professor Munir Frija.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution offers Africa a chance to advance in artificial intelligence, robotics, blockchain, and cybersecurity. Policymakers, industry players, and academics are anticipated to engage in the implementation process.
