President Paul Kagame met with the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Doreen Bogdan-Martin, on Thursday, April 3, to discuss key partnerships in the digital sector. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the two-day Global AI Summit on Africa, which is being held in Kigali from Thursday. According to a statement from Village Urugwiro posted on X, their discussions focused on “strengthening partnerships focused on advancing digital solutions and technology-driven development.” ALSO READ: Africa must not be left behind, Kagame tells AI Summit President Kagame also held talks with Amandeep Singh Gill, the UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, who also attended the AI summit. The inaugural Global AI Summit on Africa, which has attracted some 1,000 government officials, private sector actors and tech experts from around the world, is seen as an opportunity for the continent to deliberate its role in the emerging technologies. Opening the summit, Kagame said the African continent “can’t afford to be left behind” in the rapidly advancing technologies such as artificial intelligence. “Africa can't afford to be left behind, once again playing catch up. We have to adopt, cooperate, and compete because it is in our best interest to do so. That is why we are here,” he said. The President said there is an urgent need for strategic investments in digital infrastructure, workforce development, and continental integration for Africa to secure its AI-driven future.
