Leadership of the African continent has been advised to seek technological sovereignty in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Legal practitioner, Ace Kojo Anan Ankomah, who made the call, says the continent cannot always be a consumer of technological advancements but should rather position itself as a creator to meet the needs of Africans.
Giving the Commencement address to the 2026 graduating class of the SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College in Tema, on Saturday, June 6, 2026, on the theme: “Cultivating Ethical Leadership for an AI-Driven Future: A Collective Pan-African Obligation,” he urged the region to be active participants in the AI era.
“Today, Africa must also seek technological sovereignty. Not isolation from the world, but the capacity to shape our own future within it,” he stated.
Highlighting the importance of Africa’s active participation in the global AI conversation, he noted that Africa must equip itself with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in an AI-driven world and create an ecosystem that supports startups and small businesses to drive economic growth and job creation.
The lawyer advised Africans to be proactive in designing the technologies and ethical frameworks that will govern the future.
According to him, “if you don’t help write the rules, chances are that you are on the menu.”
“We cannot be and remain passive users of systems designed entirely elsewhere. We must help design the technologies and ethical frameworks that will govern the future,” he said
He emphasised that the future of the world depends on the character of those who create and use AI, urging the graduates to be ethical leaders, combining intelligence with wisdom, innovation with conscience, ambition with compassion, and leadership with service.
He encouraged the young graduates to inculcate the spirit of Pan-Africanism, and “combine intelligence with wisdom, innovation with conscience, ambition with compassion, and leadership with service.”
Ace Ankomah further stressed the human factor in the artificial intelligence space where he says the output of technology will always be determined by the minds that control them.
He noted that “the future of a world reshaped by technology at breathtaking speed, will not be decided by machines, but by the character of those who create and use them. Long after AI has evolved beyond our imagination, integrity, courage, discipline, compassion and service will still determine whether societies flourish or fail.”
AI has capabilities but can’t replace humanity – Ace Ankomah
