Africa’s artificial intelligence economy could contribute up to 1.5 trillion US dollars to the continent’s economy by 2030 if governments and private sector actors invest in digital infrastructure, innovation, digital skills, and coordinated policy frameworks.
The projection is expected to dominate discussions at the AI EVERYTHING summit in Nairobi, where policymakers, technology companies, investors, and innovators will gather to chart East Africa’s role in the global AI economy as global competition around artificial intelligence intensifies.
For Uganda and the wider East African region, the summit comes at a critical moment as countries seek to position themselves not just as consumers of artificial intelligence technologies, but as active developers of locally driven digital solutions.
The three-day event, scheduled for May 19-21, is being described as East Africa’s largest AI and technology gathering. Organisers say it will bring together more than 400 senior executives, government officials, investors, and global technology leaders to discuss AI governance, infrastructure development, digital sovereignty, cybersecurity, agriculture, healthcare, and innovation financing.
The summit’s opening programme, dubbed the INCLUSIVE AI EVERYTHING SUMMIT, will focus on how Africa can build an AI ecosystem that reflects local realities, languages, and development priorities. For Uganda, the discussions are expected to resonate strongly with ongoing efforts to expand digital transformation across key sectors, including agriculture, banking, healthcare, education, and public service delivery.
Technology experts say Uganda has significant potential to benefit from artificial intelligence because of its youthful population and growing technology ecosystem, but warn that major investment gaps remain. Challenges such as limited computing infrastructure, high internet costs, inadequate digital skills, and unreliable electricity in some parts of the country continue to slow the adoption of advanced technologies.
The Nairobi summit is also expected to place strong emphasis on “AI sovereignty,” the growing push for African countries to maintain greater control over their data, digital infrastructure, and AI systems.
This debate has gained momentum globally as governments increasingly worry about overdependence on foreign-owned technology platforms and cloud infrastructure.
Industry leaders attending the summit argue that Africa’s AI future will largely depend on investments in local data centres, high-speed connectivity, energy infrastructure, and talent development.
Snehar Shah, Chief Executive Officer of iXAfrica Data Centres, said artificial intelligence would play a major role in shaping Africa’s next phase of economic growth. “But AI will not scale on ambition alone,” Shah said, adding that it requires secure, resilient, high-density, well-connected, and energy-conscious infrastructure that can support cloud platforms, enterprise workloads, sovereign data, and emerging AI ecosystems.
The summit will also spotlight African-led AI innovation, including platforms designed to support African languages and local industries. Among the featured innovators is PAWA AI, a Mozilla and NVIDIA-backed platform developed to expand AI accessibility for more than 200 million Swahili and other African language speakers. Experts say such innovations could provide opportunities for countries like Uganda to develop AI systems tailored to local languages and community needs, particularly in education, agriculture, and healthcare. Agriculture is expected to feature prominently during the summit, with discussions focusing on how AI can improve food production, climate resilience, and market access for smallholder farmers.
Analysts say that in Uganda, where agriculture remains the backbone of the economy, Artificial intelligence could help farmers improve yields through weather forecasting, pest detection, precision farming, and access to market information. Healthcare is another area where regional stakeholders are increasingly exploring AI applications, especially in diagnostics, disease surveillance, and digital health systems.
The summit will attract participation from organisations including IBM, Goldman Sachs, AGRA, the European Artificial Intelligence Office, and the African Continental Free Trade Area Policy Network. Regional government representatives from Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Cameroon, Ghana, and Mozambique are also expected to participate in discussions on digital policy and infrastructure development.
Kenya is using the summit to strengthen Nairobi’s position as a leading African technology hub, but observers say the wider regional conversations could influence digital policy directions across East Africa.
Frank Moreno Garcia, the Chief AI Strategy Officer at the European Artificial Intelligence Office, said the summit offers “a unique space for collaboration, where stakeholders can identify real opportunities to build inclusive, sustainable and future-ready digital ecosystems-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
