At the heart of New York City, where world leaders and innovators converged for the United Nations General Assembly’s High-Level Meeting on the Global Dialogue for AI Governance, one voice rose to remind the world of a continent often spoken about but not always spoken with, Africa.
That voice was Oluwaseun Dania, managing director of Alpha-Geek Technologies, who stood not just as an entrepreneur, but as a messenger for 1.4 billion Africans, the youngest workforce on the planet.
“Africa cannot be sidelined in the AI revolution,” Dania declared, his words cutting through the weight of the occasion. “This is not just about GDP. It is about lives uplifted, voices amplified, and destinies reshaped.”
A Bridge Between Innovation and Equity
For Dania, the future of artificial intelligence is not just about coding powerful algorithms or scaling billion-dollar companies. It is about ensuring that technology is a ladder, not a wall. He spoke of Africa as a continent that has already proven itself a fast adopter of mobile-first technology, and now stands ready to be a co-creator in the AI era.
But he didn’t shy away from the shadows. As an expert in information security, he warned of deepfakes that corrode trust, biased algorithms that entrench inequality, and unchecked data monopolies that threaten to widen the global digital divide.
Nigeria’s Bold Step
Pointing to home, Dania highlighted Nigeria’s National AI Strategy launched in April 2025 under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Minister Bosun Tijani. This blueprint, developed with NAIRS and NCAIR, is more than a policy, it is a commitment to train 70% of Nigeria’s youth in AI skills by 2030, expand the digital economy by 27% annually, and inject $15 billion into GDP growth.
“This is how Africa leapfrogs,” Dania noted. “From fintech revolutions to digital economies built on trust, we are ready to shape the tools of tomorrow.”
Three Pillars for a Just AI Future
Dania urged that AI governance must not be left to Silicon Valley or Geneva boardrooms alone. Instead, he put forward three priorities:
- Equitable Access – Open-source frameworks and funding to empower innovators in the Global South, not exploit them.
- Ethical Safeguards – African-led standards for bias audits and privacy, grounded in ubuntu, the principle of shared humanity.
- Resilient Infrastructure – AI-driven solutions for development, from predicting pandemics to optimizing energy use, while fortifying against misuse.
A Covenant for the Future
Closing his address, Dania did not mince words:
“This dialogue must be more than talk. It must be a covenant, for a fair, inclusive, and ethical AI future. Africa is ready to co-create, not merely comply.”
As the applause echoed in the UN chamber, it was clear: the AI revolution cannot be complete without Africa at the table, not as a guest, but as a partner.
