Dakar: The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hadja Memounatou Ibrahima, has urged the creation of a robust legal framework for Artificial Intelligence (AI) development across West Africa. She emphasized the need for this framework during a meeting of the parliament’s Joint Committee in Dakar, Senegal, centered on education, science, and digital innovation.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Ibrahima, represented by Second Deputy Speaker Adjaratou Coulibaly, asserted that the subregion must embrace new learning models to align with global technological standards. She expressed optimism that the discussions in Dakar would lead to a definitive recommendation for a community legal framework on artificial intelligence. Ibrahima highlighted the necessity of prioritizing digital transformation and innovation in education to shape the subregion’s future.
Ibrahima reminded attendees of the 2003 Protocol on Education and Training to harmonize education and promote excellence. Despite ECOWAS’s young population, cult
ural diversity, and economic growth, educational challenges persist. She pointed out issues like inadequate infrastructure, digital inequality, and slow adoption of new technologies by some member states as significant hurdles.
She stressed the importance of ensuring every child has access to digital tools, questioning how education should evolve with AI’s potential to replace traditional teaching roles. Her vision is to create a region where every child can learn, grow, and contribute to prosperity.
In addition, Senegal’s Minister of National Education, Moustapha Guirassy, highlighted the importance of Africa not only consuming but also creating and regulating AI. Guirassy shared that Senegal allocated 1,105 billion CFA to education, with 130 billion CFA dedicated to digital education. He mentioned that AI plays a pivotal role in Senegal’s educational reform, supported by a new tech pact and a national digital strategy spanning 2025-2029.
Guirassy noted the use of AI to monitor school performance and the
training of teachers in AI essentials. He also introduced sensitization modules on algorithmic systems for secondary students. Moreover, he proposed a West African Pact on AI use in education, advocating for a regional ethical charter and digital resources in African languages.