MWC26: Smart Africa and MeetKai launch five-country pilot to drive sovereign AI
Date: 2026-03-04
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
Smart
Africa and MeetKai Inc. have announced a five-country pilot initiative aimed at
accelerating the deployment of Sovereign AI solutions across the African
continent. The announcement was made at MWC2026 in Barcelona.
The initiative, unveiled by Smart Africa CEO Lacina
Koné and MeetKai CEO James Kaplan, is designed to support African nations in
developing and deploying artificial intelligence systems aligned with national
laws, institutional frameworks and development priorities.
The pilot will be implemented under the Africa AI
Council framework and seeks to provide participating Member States with greater
control over AI data, models and deployment. The partners stated that the
objective is to strengthen data sovereignty while fostering innovation tailored
to local contexts.
According to Smart Africa, the
programme will enable the development of AI systems capable of supporting
African languages and addressing priority sectors such as education,
healthcare, agriculture and public service delivery. It also aims to enhance
the capacity of public institutions through locally governed AI solutions.
The
five-country pilot marks a step toward expanding AI capabilities across the
continent while ensuring that governance, ownership and strategic direction
remain in African hands.
