AI-Driven Governance: Transforming Public and Addressing Legacy Issues in Post-Colonial Africa


DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31039/ljis.2024.3.291Keywords:
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Governance Efficiency, Transparency, Legacy issuesAbstract
This paper examines the transformational potentials that artificial intelligence (AI) may hold to reshape our public policies and methods of administration in the unique post-colonial context of Africa. We thus seek to unearth how AI technologies can be employed at a continental scale in the remedy of legacy issues arising from colonialism including; governance inefficiency, literacy gaps, and inequitable service delivery across the continent. From critically analyzing the application of AI in various public sectors, our research seeks to unveil opportunities for AI in inclusive decision-making processes to improve transparency as well as tailoring public service delivery to the diversified needs of African populations. The paper describes the way forward in the adoption of AI solutions that involve issues on a variety of considerations, infrastructure requirements, financial obstacles, and capacity development, among others.
Highlighting the potential of AI in governance, this research underscores the place of local innovation stakeholder engagement, and international collaboration in assuring that AI plays out as a development lever for both sustainable development and empowerment in post-colonial Africa.
References
AI for Africa White Paper. (n.d.). Microsoft Policy Innovation Center (PIC). Retrieved March 17, 2024,https://pic.strathmore.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/PIC_AI_for_Africa_Whitepaper.pdf
AI Revolution: Is Africa Ready to Embrace the Future? (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2024, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-revolution-africa-ready-embrace-future-tech-africa-news-e8zvf
APRI. (2022, May 30). AI in Africa: Key Concerns and Policy Considerations for the Future of the Continent. from https://afripoli.org/ai-in-africa-key-concerns-and-policy-considerations-for-the-future-of-the-continent
Infrastructure and Projects Authority, Central Digital & Data Office, Association for Project Management, & Major Projects Association. (2023). UK innovations in project delivery through data analytics and AI. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/generative-ai-framework-for-hmg/generative-ai-framework-for-hmg-html
From Colonial Legacy to AI Progress: Re-defining Gender and Data Protection in Africa - Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Technology law. (2023, May 29). https://cipit.strathmore.edu/from-colonial-legacy-to-ai-progress-re-defining-gender-and-data-protection-in-africa/
From Artificial Intelligence and Underfunded Education London Journal of Social Sciences
Artificial Intelligence and Underfunded Education | London Journal of Social Sciences (londonic.uk)
The Challenges and Opportunities of AI in African Education. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2024, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/challenges-opportunities-ai-african-education-intelliverse-ai-lab
Transforming Classrooms: The Growing Impact of Artificial Intelligence in African Education—Dalberg. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2024, from https://dalberg.com/our-ideas/transforming-classrooms-the-growing-impact-of-artificial-intelligence-in-african-education/
Uthmann, T. (2021, July 1). Transition towards digital modernity in the Global South: The contribution of AI to sustainable development in Sub-Saharan African countries [Info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis]. University of Twente. http://essay.utwente.nl/87689/
CIPIT (2023) The state of AI in Africa https://cipit.org/the-state-of-ai-in-africa/
Adams, R. A., Jean-Baptiste, E., & Patel, H. (2021). AI and Public Policy in Africa. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4652444
Decolonizing the 'Ethics Of AI'. (2021). ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jonathan-Piedra/publication/374290412_Decolonizing_the_'Ethics_Of_AI'/links/65171d673ab6cb4ec6a9465a/Decolonizing-the-Ethics-Of-AI.pdf
Kabir, N., & Sharma, H. P. (2021). The Role of AI in Transforming Governance: A Developing Country Perspective. International Journal of Economics, Business and Management Research, 5(2). https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/ijebeg/issue/51621/669856
Piedra, J. (2021). Artificial Intelligence for Governance in Post-Colonial Contexts. AI & Society, 36(3), 995-1005. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00146-022-01527-7
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. (2020). Data Governance and Access in Africa. UNECA. Available at: http://www.scielo.org.za/pdf/ajic/v26/02.pdf
World Bank. (2023). The Digital Economy for Africa Initiative. World Bank. Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/all-africa-digital-transformation
African Union. (2019). African Union Strategy for Digital Transformation. African Union Commission. Available at: https://au.int/en/documents/20201207/strategy-digital-transformation-africa-2020-2030
Access Now. (2021). Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights in Africa. Access Now Policy. Available at: https://www.accessnow.org/artificial-intelligence-and-human-rights-in-africa/
Brookings Institution. AI in the Global South: Opportunities and challenges towards more inclusive governance. Available at: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/ai-in-the-global-south-opportunities-and-challenges-towards-more-inclusive-governance/
International Monetary Fund. (2021). Harnessing the Digital Economy for Developing Countries in Africa. IMF. Available at: https://www.imf.org/en/Topics/imf-and-covid19/Policy-Responses-to-COVID-19#A
UNESCO. (2019). Bridging Cultures with Artificial Intelligence: What Role for Africa? UNESCO. Available at: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000368303
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Joseph Otochi Onduko, Michael Kalombo, Makuach Kuol, Bentley Makale, Mahsen Saleh

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
Share— copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
Attribution - You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
NonCommercial- You may not use the material for commercial purposes .
NoDerivatives- If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.
No additional restrictions- You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.