Africa Must Tap Demographic Edge, Local Ingenuity to become AI Giant, Saya Expert

Africa possesses a unique opportunity to become a global Artificial Intelligence(AI) powerhouse by leveraging the strength of its youthful population and fostering local innovation.

Chief Executive Officer of Quomodo Systems Africa, Oluwole Asalu stated further  that although Africa is seen as trailing in AI, its demographic edge,with nearly 70% of its population under 30, positions it to address global tech sector’s critical skills gap.

He maintained that the continent stands
at a unique vantage point to become a talent engine for the world and a powerhouse in global AI ecosystem.
Asalu argued that that while developed nations face aging populations, Africa remains rich in digitally eager and entrepreneurial youth.
“The continent’s strategic cultivation of this demographic dividend  could redefine its economic future and global technology leadership”,he assured.

In driving this goal,  Asalu urged strengthened investment in young talent, noting  that the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme aiming to  train three million persons in modern tech tool was a step in right direction.

He said initiative of this nature should offer more than numbers, to equipping present  generation with skills that match the needs of an increasingly AI-integrated economy.
Furthermore, Asalu stressed the importance of applied learning centers, citing Nigeria’s model as a vital step in teaching and applying AI to solve local challenges.

He also urged a collaborative ecosystem that brings  together professionals, researchers, startups, and enthusiasts to share expertise and align African talent with global standards.
The digital expert stressed the importance of data, noting that most current AI systems are trained on Western and English-centric datasets,and creating a blind spot for African applications.

” To counter this, Nigeria has launched an initiative to build a multimodal, multilingual language model by digitizing languages like Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo. This is not just a linguistic project; it is an act of sovereignty. For Africa to lead in AI, it must own its data and build systems that understand its people,” he asserted.