The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hadja Ibrahima, has called for a comprehensive legal framework to guide the development and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across West Africa.
Speaking through the Second Deputy Speaker, Adjaratou Coulibaly, at a regional parliamentary meeting in Dakar, Senegal, Ibrahima said AI must be strategically integrated into education and innovation policies to keep pace with global advancements.
The meeting, hosted by the parliament’s Joint Committee on Education, Science, and Digital Innovation, was themed “Prioritising Education Technology and Innovation in the ECOWAS Region.”
Ibrahima urged member states to rethink traditional education models and invest in digital transformation to address challenges like poor infrastructure and digital inequality. “We must ensure every child has access to digital learning tools. If Africa is to compete globally, our classrooms must evolve,” she said.
She raised important questions about the future of learning, asking, “What happens when AI replaces teachers? How do we humanise education in a tech-driven age?”
In his remarks, Senegal’s Minister of National Education, Moustapha Guirassy, echoed the need for proactive leadership in AI development. He announced that Senegal has earmarked 130 billion CFA for digital education and is integrating AI tools into school performance tracking.
Guirassy advocated for a West African Pact on AI in education, anchored on ethical guidelines and supported by local-language digital resources. “Africa must not be a mere consumer of AI; we must be its creators and regulators,” he said.
The Dakar meeting is expected to produce recommendations for a regional legal framework that balances innovation with inclusion and ethics.
