MRA Calls for Pan-African AI Framework Rooted in Human Rights

Our Reporter 

The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called for the development and adoption of a comprehensive Pan-African framework on Artificial Intelligence (AI) anchored on human rights, democratic accountability, inclusion, and African digital sovereignty.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Monday to commemorate Africa Day 2026, the organization warned that no single African country possesses the influence or resources needed to independently address the opportunities and challenges arising from rapidly evolving AI technologies.

MRA noted that while Artificial Intelligence presents Africa with unprecedented opportunities for innovation and development, it also poses significant risks if not properly governed. 

The group cautioned that without a collective continental strategy, Africa risks becoming merely a consumer of technologies developed elsewhere, with limited consideration for the continent’s realities, cultures, languages, and development priorities.

MRA Programme Officer, Ayomide Eweje, said Africa Day—marking the founding of the Organisation of African Unity—represents the vision of a united, free, and prosperous Africa, a vision she said now extends into the digital space.

She observed that AI is already reshaping sectors including journalism, governance, education, elections, healthcare, business, security, and public communication, with far-reaching implications for democracy, freedom of expression, civic engagement, and socio-economic development across the continent.

According to Eweje, as the African Union advances its AI strategy, principles of Pan-Africanism should guide how Africa develops, governs, and benefits from emerging technologies.

She acknowledged AI’s potential to improve public service delivery, expand access to knowledge, enhance elections, and combat misinformation, but warned that the same technologies could also facilitate mass surveillance, spread deepfakes, manipulate public opinion, reinforce discrimination, and suppress civic freedoms.

The MRA official urged governments, regional institutions, civil society groups, academics, media practitioners, technology experts, and citizens to collaborate on creating a people-centered AI governance structure tailored to Africa’s needs.

She proposed key principles for such a framework, including protection of human rights and privacy, media independence, transparency in algorithmic systems, public oversight of AI deployment, inclusion of African languages and cultures, prevention of algorithmic bias, ethical innovation, digital inclusion, media literacy, and protection of electoral integrity.

Eweje further warned against what she described as “data colonialism,” where African populations provide data to global technology corporations without meaningful control or economic benefit. She called on the African Union to begin an inclusive process toward establishing an African Charter or Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Rights.

She also stressed the importance of media and information literacy, saying citizens across Africa must acquire skills to identify misinformation, understand algorithmic systems, recognize synthetic content and deepfakes, and actively participate in digital governance.

Reaffirming MRA’s commitment, Eweje said the organization remains ready to work with partners across Africa and beyond to advance digital rights, media freedom, access to information, democratic accountability, and ethical approaches to emerging technologies.