GENEVA — President Paul Kagame on Wednesday called for greater investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure, skills and governance, arguing that Africa must move beyond being a consumer of technology and become a creator of it if it is to fully benefit from the digital economy.
Speaking at the AI for Good Global Summit 2026 in Geneva, Kagame said artificial intelligence had the potential to transform economies and improve lives but warned that geopolitical competition risked slowing progress by shifting attention away from development.
“Technology is moving fast and you cannot afford to lag behind,” Kagame told world leaders, technology executives and policymakers attending the summit, which was organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and co-hosted by Switzerland.
The Head of State outlined three priorities for ensuring AI benefits society: expanding digital infrastructure, investing in education and skills, and building governance systems that promote accountability and public trust.
“Talent exists everywhere but the opportunity to use it does not,” Kagame said, urging universities and training institutions to continually adapt their curricula to meet the demands of emerging technologies.
He also called for stronger collaboration between governments and the private sector to improve access to computing power, internet connectivity and reliable energy, which he described as essential foundations for AI development.
Kagame said Rwanda was already using artificial intelligence in healthcare through its Health Intelligence Center, which analyzes real-time data to predict disease outbreaks and support faster policy decisions.
His remarks came as global governments grapple with how to regulate artificial intelligence while ensuring developing countries are not left behind in what is becoming an increasingly competitive technological race.
While acknowledging concerns about the rapid evolution of AI, Kagame said uncertainty should not prevent countries from embracing the technology.
“We must be intentional about designing, funding and governing AI so that it can reach its full potential,” he said.
Kagame also highlighted Africa’s demographic advantage, noting that by 2050 the continent is expected to have the world’s largest and fastest-growing workforce.
“We have to invest in them,” he said of Africa’s young people. “It would be a win-win for everyone.”
On the sidelines of the summit, Kagame joined ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin and Salesforce Chief Executive Marc Benioff in launching the AI for Good Global Commission, an initiative aimed at promoting international cooperation on the responsible development and deployment of artificial intelligence.
The Rwandan leader, who chairs the Smart Africa Alliance Board, noted that the alliance established the Africa AI Council last year to help shape the continent’s approach to artificial intelligence.
“In Africa, we are no longer satisfied to be passive consumers of technology,” Kagame said. “We want to build and deploy that technology at scale as well.”
The AI for Good Global Summit, running from July 7 to 10 in Geneva, has brought together heads of state, United Nations officials, technology companies and researchers to discuss how artificial intelligence can be harnessed to advance sustainable development while addressing growing concerns over safety, governance and equitable access.
