The potential of Artificial Intelligence in Africa has always been a topic of utmost interest with the recent advancements in technologies and the rise of artificial intelligence experts in the continent.
Africa has traditionally lagged behind the rest of the world in artificial intelligence development. However, as businesses, governments and private bodies throughout the continent have begun to invest more in AI technologies, there have been significant gains in productivity and efficiency.
Several technological breakthroughs in recent years have sparked the attention of the African business community in artificial intelligence. Cloud computing, machine learning, Big data analysis, data science, robots, and other innovations are among them.
Many technological enterprises are now racing to develop AI applications for their business, with great success.
Africa has the potential to unlock the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve lives, increase opportunities, and drive inclusive economic growth.
Unlocking the potential of AI technologies in Africa can help to improve the continent technical skills base to take advantage of new advances in machine learning, natural language processing, and other forms of advanced analytics.
-Artificial intelligence (AI) can help Africa’s agricultural sector by analyzing data collected from millions of farmers, forecasting crop yields, and guiding field management decisions.
This innovation could help combat food insecurity in Africa, where more than 400 million people face hunger and more than two billion live on less than USD 2.50 per day.
-Health care in Africa is an urgent issue that requires help from people who understand the region’s problems.
A major contributing factor to poor health in Africa is technological limitations. Many African countries do not have adequate resources available to help diagnose and treat diseases. Many African hospitals lack basic equipment and materials like IV bags and malaria test kits; other equipment breaks down quickly due to frequent use or lack of maintenance.
One way artificial intelligence (AI) could be helpful in the health sector would be to use AI software to recognize symptoms of disease and recommend appropriate treatments for those diseases. AI systems already exist that can make general diagnoses based on symptoms.
-Another area in that can AI can be helpful in Africa is Education
The application of Artificial intelligence in the educational system of many African countries will help improve the standard of learning, AI has the potential to improve academic learning and teaching, assisting the educational sphere is evolving to benefit both students and teachers.
An example of an organization, utilizing the potential of AI to improve the education sector in Nigeria is Passnownow.
Nigeria’s No. 1 Mobile Learning Platform that provides access to Curriculum Compliant, quality Classwork Notes based on Syllabus for under-served Secondary School Students around Nigeria and also provides access to preparatory past questions for exams like WAEC, JAMB and JSSCE.
Click here to access Passnownow.
How Nigeria should Lead The Way in Unlocking the Potential Of Artificial Intelligence In Africa
Many countries in Africa are currently dealing with social problems such as hunger, poverty, terrorism, local ethnic and religious conflicts, bribery and corruption, disease outbreaks and many more.
Nigeria, which has the largest population in Africa, with over 200 million people, also have some of the highest rates of these social problems.
For Nigeria to unlock the potentials of AI and lead the way for other African countries, it will need a clear vision for how AI can be used to solve these pressing issues.
Nigeria can lead the way for other African countries because currently, the country, has tremendous opportunities to bolster the use of AI to solve some of its biggest problems.
Additionally, Nigeria is home to several strong technology companies that are beginning to harness the power of AI for applications in their respective industries.
One example is RiseNetworks, We are a Leading Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Powered Learning, Research and Work Readiness Center working to improve the skills set of people for industry fitness in the evolving digital world of work.
We are leveraging deep technologies and disruptive innovation to build progressive Careers and a first-rate National Workforce capable of aligning from the future of work and driving the digital transformation and economic growth for Companies, Communities and Countries.
The contribution of RiseNetworks in the technological space can help place Nigeria at the forefront of leading Africa in harnessing the potentials of artificial intelligence.
Nigeria can lead the way in unlocking the potentials of AI in Africa through collaborative interventions with the government and stakeholders in the technological space to accelerate the growth and modernise the country’s economy through the development of a digital-led growth strategy for the Nigerian economy.
In conclusion, Nigeria can lead the way for Africa through the availability of excellent AI expertise and a remarkably vibrant start-up group that leverage the potential of AI in Nigeria to boost the economy.
For this to happen, startups in the country must begin to think big, be bold and be brave to collaborate and work with AI developers around the world. By acting now rather than later, they can ensure that Nigeria is at the forefront of AI development in Africa.