The African Union (AU) has appointed Professor Isa Ali Pantami, the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, as Co-chairman of the African Scientific Research and Innovation Council (AU-ASRIC).
In this significant role, Pantami is expected to be instrumental in developing the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) Policy and Strategy for Africa, which will have implications for all 54 countries on the continent.
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Pantami has been a prominent advocate for advancing the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Africa.
His tenure as the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) saw the establishment of the National Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR).
He also played a key role in formulating Nigeria’s inaugural Digital Economy Policy, focusing on the integration of Digital Society and Emerging Technologies.
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Notably, Pantami is the first African to be honored as a Fellow by the Chartered Institute of Information Security in the United Kingdom, underscoring his contributions to the field.
Alongside Pantami, Professor Anicia Nicola Peter from Namibia has been appointed as co-chair.
Professor Peter is a distinguished researcher specializing in Human-Computer Interaction, Social Media, Gamification, and other emerging technologies.
She previously led Namibia’s 4IR Presidential Task Force and serves as an adjunct Research Professor at the University of Namibia.
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The AU-ASRIC comprises a diverse group of experts, including Professor Khaleed Ghedira from Tunisia and Professor Maha Grima from Morocco, among other esteemed academics and policymakers.
Together, they aim to propel the continent’s adoption of advanced technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity.
