FemAI initiative expands to new African markets, building on 18 months of AI policy engagement

By:  Nana Appiah Acquaye

The FemAI Leaders for Africa initiative is set to enter a new phase of expansion, targeting additional countries as it deepens efforts to advance inclusive artificial intelligence governance across the continent.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with TechReview Africa, Sam Fenwick-Smith, Head of Partnerships at Women Political Leaders (WPL), said the next phase of the initiative will be implemented in collaboration with Smart Africa, focusing on countries aligned with the National Digital Academy framework. These include Ghana, with Côte d’Ivoire and Malawi also identified among the target countries, while discussions are ongoing to finalize the remaining participants.

The upcoming phase builds on the initiative’s first 18 months of implementation, during which FemAI concentrated its efforts across five African countries: Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa, Nigeria, and Morocco.

Over this period, the programme deployed a series of “in-country labs,” structured workshops designed to assess the state of national digital and AI strategies while evaluating their inclusivity. These engagements examined the extent to which policy frameworks reflect local realities and the degree of participation by women political leaders in shaping AI governance.

Outputs from these labs included policy recommendation briefs and advocacy reports, which have been used to support national-level discussions and inform broader policy direction. The initiative has also worked to elevate selected women leaders from participating countries to global platforms, positioning them within key international conversations on AI and digital governance.

Fenwick-Smith noted that FemAI is anchored on three core objectives: to champion women in political leadership who are actively shaping AI policy; to develop resources and tools that support both women and broader leadership communities in the AI ecosystem; and to drive cross-sector collaboration aimed at advancing inclusive and sustainable AI governance frameworks.

The next phase is expected to replicate and scale this model across the new target countries, combining localized policy engagement with international visibility. Organisers say this approach is critical to ensuring that African perspectives are integrated into global AI governance discussions while strengthening domestic policy ecosystems.

Looking ahead, the initiative plans a broader continental rollout from mid-2027, targeting up to 42 countries and incorporating regional-level engagements with governments and institutions. This expansion is expected to further consolidate efforts to align national strategies, enhance policy coordination, and build more inclusive digital governance structures across Africa.