AI solutions should be convenient for Africa's security challenges, says NIS boss Haji
"We should not expect that the AI that is being created in other jurisdictions will be effective for us or will work in our environment as well as it should," said Haji.
Amid challenges of cross-border security and online threats, African nations have been urged to develop homegrown Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions to address their security challenges.
These were the sentiments of Noordin Haji, Kenya's Director General of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) who challenged African states to relook their AI strategies.
Speaking during the inaugural International Security Conference on Africa (ISCA) in Kigali, Rwanda, Haji explained that AI solutions should should fit the African narrative to be effective.
"There's no way we can sit down and expect to outsource equipment from other jursisctions other than maybe Africa," said Haji.
"We should not expect that the AI that is being created in other jurisdictions will be effective for us or will work in our environment as well as it should."
"In other words, whatever is created out there is not necessarily for our convenience," he added.
He cited cases where various media platforms have been tailored for different countries, calling for policies and legislations to ensure AI solutions are well utilized.
"If you are to look at China for example the kind of Tik Tok that is there, is very different from the one being utilized in Africa," said Haji.
"These are issues that we really need to sit down as a continent and agree; how are we going to come up with legislation or policies that will favour us as Africans? The question is how do we, for example, protect our own culture as Africans by ensuring that the AI that is there respects and protects our cultures?"
Haji's sentiments were echoed by Rwandan President Paul Kagame who said the African continent can no longer rely on others for its own peace and security, urging African countries to do what it takes to ensure that peace and security is not outsourced from elsewhere.
President Kagame said that for many years, Africa has been relying on external powers for her peace and security but history shows that this kind of reliance has not delivered results and there is need for countries to take full ownership and take charge of the continent’s peace and stability.
“Africa’s future, particularly in matters of peace and security, cannot be outsourced. For far too long, our security has been treated as a burden to be managed by others with minimal input from us, and often without the benefit of our context or consent," President Kagame said.
"This approach has failed to deliver both for Africa and for the world."
The inaugural International Security Conference on Africa (ISCA) opened at Kigali Convention Centre (KCC) on Tuesday, May, 19, 2025.
Themed "Reshaping Africa’s Landscape in a Dynamic, Complex Global Environment," the two-day forum attracted defense, intelligence, and security players to tackle pressing security challenges and collaborate for the future.
