Africa's AI strategy must differ from global approach due to demographic divergence
via Lefaso.net11 min read
More than two-thirds of the world's population lives in countries with fertility rates below the generational replacement threshold of 2.1 children per woman, with most of these countries located outside Africa. However, there is an inverse correlation between demographic structure and investment in Artificial Intelligence AI and robotics. Economies with aging populations are automating to compensate for labor shortages. This creates a paradox for Africa, the world's youngest continent, as the global economy increasingly rewards machines over human labor. Dr. Wendkuuni Moïse Convolbo, a digital transformation architect and AI inventor, argues that revising Africa's AI strategy is a strategic necessity for its future economic relevance. Countries like South Korea, Japan, and China, facing demographic decline, are heavily investing in AI and automation to maintain economic power. South Korea, with the world's lowest fertility rate 0.75, leads global manufacturing with 1,012 industrial robots per 10,000 workers. Japan plans to invest $135 billion in AI infrastructure by 2030, and China spent $98 billion on AI investments in 2025. The Bank of Korea estimates that ambitious automation could offset over 10 percentage points of the projected 16.5% GDP reduction due to demographic changes by 2050. This logic, however, breaks down in Africa, where a youthful population changes the equation. By 2050, one in four people globally will be African, with sub-Saharan Africa's population expe
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Must ReadOuagadougou, Burkina Faso, hosted the inaugural conference on "Colonization and the perpetuation of colonial systems" on April 20, 2026. Organized by the African Diaspora Development Institute ADDI, the event aimed to re-evaluate the connections between Africa and its diaspora, with a focus on youth in the continent's transformation. Dr. Arikana Chihombori Quao, president of ADDI, emphasized celebrating Burkinabe youth and providing them a platform to share their history. She also called for intergenerational synergy, stating that division hinders success and that elders should transmit knowledge to the youth for collective progress. The Minister Delegate to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Stella Eldine Kabré/Kaboré, representing President Ibrahim Traoré and Prime Minister Jean-Emmanuel Ouédraogo, commended the initiative. She highlighted its importance in reshaping political, strategic, and historical ties between Africa and its diaspora, especially amidst the continent's political redefinition, including within the Confederation of Sahel States. The Minister Delegate urged a shift from symbolic cooperation to actionable pan-Africanism, focusing on effective mechanisms to link state needs with diaspora expertise, directing investments to strategic sectors, and strengthening concerted diplomacy to amplify Africa's voice internationally. Notable participants in the discussions included Dr. Arikana Chihombori Quao, Reverend Maponga, Lazare Ki Zerbo, and Ousmane Touray.
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