US, Nigeria to co-host pan-African AI conference Sept 10—11

Blessing Taiwo

The Federal Government has collaborated with the United States to organise a pan-African conference centered on the opportunities in Artificial Intelligence.

The Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy and the US Department of State will host the event on September 10—11, 2024 in Lagos.

The conference, aimed at exploring technology and devising new strategies, plans to bring together around 300 stakeholders.

It was initially announced during the US-Nigeria Binational Commission meetings in Abuja in April.

A statement detailing its objective reads, “senior US government officials will join private sector executives, tech policy leaders, academics, and civil society members at this pan-African event to explore the opportunities and challenges of developing, deploying, and using artificial intelligence (AI).

“The event will feature plenary sessions, panel discussions, site visits, break-out sessions, and networking opportunities.

“These activities aim to help participants align tech governance strategies.

“The conference’s goal is to ensure AI is advanced in a way that safeguards the public from potential harm while allowing everyone to benefit.

“It signifies a milestone in U.S.-Nigeria relations following Antony Blinken, United States secretary of state’s visit to Nigeria in January.”