Africa must move beyond using foreign artificial intelligence tools and begin owning the data, infrastructure and models that power them, Mr. Kambale Musavuli, Founder of the Beyond AI Movement and Managing Director of Aether Strategy, has said.
He warned that without deliberate investment in a homegrown AI ecosystem, African countries risk remaining consumers while valuable African data and mineral resources are extracted and used elsewhere.
Mr. Musavuli spoke during a media interview at the two-day Beyond AI Workshop, “Nyansa Futures 2026”, held from August 14 to 15, 2026, at *Academic City University College, Haatso, Accra under the theme _“From Adoption to Ownership, Shaping Africa’s AI Future.”
Mr. Musavuli said the word _“Nyansa” meaning wisdom reflects the belief that Africans possess the wisdom to shape AI rather than only consume technologies developed abroad.
“We as African people have the wisdom to shape the world, but sometimes we forget,” he said.
He noted that most AI tools used by Africans are developed outside the continent and reflect the ideologies of their creators.
“Adopting it is not enough,” he said. “Technology is never neutral. Those who develop technologies inevitably embed their own ways of thinking and using them.”
He cautioned that without ownership, Africa will continue to lose data. “Large amounts of African data are extracted from the continent and potentially used for purposes that users might not fully understand.”
Mr. Musavuli said Africa’s role in the AI supply chain starts with its natural resources. Minerals such as cobalt, lithium and copper are critical for data centres, batteries and energy systems that support AI infrastructure.
“AI as a technology cannot exist without Africa’s mineral resources,” he said, questioning whether African countries are deriving sufficient benefits from extraction.
He also raised concerns about data sovereignty. Citing platforms like Gemini and ChatGPT, he asked whether data entered by Ghanaians remains under Ghanaian law or is transferred to foreign jurisdictions. He referenced Ghana’s rejection of a proposed transfer of citizens’ health data to the United States as an example of why sovereignty matters, but warned that individuals could still input sensitive information into foreign systems.
On energy, he said Ghana’s persistent power challenges make it necessary to debate whether additional generation should be prioritized for AI data centres while some communities still experience outages.
“We’re still dealing with ‘Dumsor’ in Ghana. Now AI is using so much power,” he said.
Also speaking at the workshop, Mr. Jeff Xiong, technology expert and General Secretary of the Global South Academic Forum, said Africa and Ghana have the conditions to leverage AI, but public awareness remains low.
He noted that the rise of affordable, open-source models means cost can no longer be an excuse. He cited DeepSeek’s latest open-source model as an example that could make advanced AI accessible at lower cost.
“The objective condition is already there and the people are ready, the country is ready. Now we should start mobilising people,” Mr. Xiong said.
He said enthusiasm for AI in Ghana and Africa is still lower than in parts of Asia, and that many people fear job losses and misinformation.
“We cannot be scared of that,” he said. “Basic AI literacy is needed to enable people to understand, use and eventually master the technology.”
Mr. Xiong, a longtime advocate of free software, said technology must belong to the people. He expressed concern that some companies provide Africa with outdated technologies and said open-source AI presents a chance to change that.
“Now Africa deserves the best,” he said, calling for closer China-Africa cooperation to build local solutions.
Beyond AI Pushes for Literacy and Practical Skills
The Beyond AI Movement, according to Mr. Musavuli, spent the past year holding monthly community engagements to gather perspectives on AI. The Accra workshop is expected to produce a manifesto outlining how participants believe AI should be implemented in African societies, covering data governance, model choice, energy and infrastructure ownership.
The event also featured masterclasses in prompt engineering and “vibe coding” by Academic City professors to equip participants with practical skills. Future sessions will cover cybersecurity and AI.
Mr. Musavuli said initiatives like Beyond AI complement Ghana’s National AI Strategy, particularly on AI literacy. “Government might not be able to reach all 35 million Ghanaians, making community-based initiatives important,” he said.
He said growing turnout at Beyond AI events shows people are seeking knowledge and moving beyond fear toward serious questions about jobs, misinformation and productivity.
The workshop brought together researchers, students, policymakers and industry players to chart a path for Africa to transition _“From Adoption to Ownership”_ in artificial intelligence.
