Recalibrating the AI Revolution: How to Build, Use, and Govern AI on Africa’s Terms (EN)

M4: Recalibrating the AI Revolution: How to Build, Use, and Govern AI on Africa’s Terms (EN) Schedule: 9:00 – 12:30 Event Leader: Dr Ronda Železný-Green, Datocracy AI, United Kingdom & Habib Houndekindo, Datocracy AI, Senegal Description: This half-day workshop moves beyond conventional AI upskilling to address a critical gap: how organisations across Africa can adopt, integrate, and govern AI technologies on their own terms. Rather than treating AI as a pre-packaged solution to be consumed, the session equips participants with practical frameworks for institutional AI readiness, from interrogating tools for bias and ensuring alignment with local knowledge, to establishing accountability mechanisms and data stewardship roles within their organisations. Participants will work through real-world scenarios covering AI-assisted research and communication, bias detection and correction, and the design of context-sensitive AI deployments. The workshop concludes with each participant drafting a one-page institutional data roadmap tailored to their organisational context. Agenda: 09:00 – 09:15 | Welcome and orientation Introductions, workshop objectives, and ground rules. Framing question: What does it mean to govern AI rather than merely use it? 09:15 – 10:00 | Session 1: Beyond access — A governance-first lens on AI Interactive presentation and group discussion.  Participants examine how AI tools currently enter their organisations and identify patterns of dependency versus agency. Introduction to the governance-first framework that treats local knowledge as foundational expertise. 10:00 – 10:45 | Session 2: Interrogating AI tools in practice Hands-on activity in small groups.  Participants conduct a structured review of commonly used AI tools (e.g. generative AI for research and writing). Focus on identifying extractive patterns, embedded biases, and fabricated outputs. Groups document findings using a provided assessment template. 10:45 – 11:00 | Coffee break 11:00 – 12:00 | Session 3: Building your institutional AI roadmap Guided practical exercise.  Each participant or organisational team drafts a one-page institutional data roadmap, including: identification of priority AI use cases; designation of data stewardship roles; accountability mechanisms and review cycles; and a plan for sustaining peer learning within and beyond their organisation. 12:00 – 12:30 | Peer review, synthesis, and next steps Participants exchange roadmaps for structured peer feedback. Plenary synthesis of key themes, followed by guidance on next steps and resources for continued learning. Target Audience(s): Programme Directors, M&E Officers, Digital Transformation Leads, & ICT Advisers Department Heads, Policy Officers, Project Managers, and Senior Technical Staff within government ministries NGOs, social enterprises, & international development organisations Target Sector(s): Public sector, workplace learning, education, health, agriculture, climate and environment, social impact/development sector Expected Outcomes: Apply a governance-first approach to AI adoption that centres local knowledge and institutional context rather than defaulting to externally designed solutions. Conduct a structured review of AI tools to identify extractive patterns, biases, and risks specific to their operating environment. Use generative AI for research and communication tasks while critically assessing outputs for accuracy, bias, and cultural relevance. Produce a one-page institutional data roadmap with defined stewardship roles, accountability mechanisms, and a peer learning plan. Establish a practical foundation for sustaining AI expertise growth within their organisation and local ecosystem. Fee: 30 EUR Click here to register for the workshop and the conference