Building resilient, AI-powered digital economies will require African countries to invest in local talent, sovereign digital infrastructure, and homegrown innovation, panelists said during a high-level panel discussion, co-hosted by Cybastion and FASO CODE X at AFRICATEK 2026 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
The 9th EAI International Conference on Emerging Technologies for Developing Countries – known as AFRICATEK – convened government officials, private sector leaders, and researchers from June 25–27, to discuss how emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) can drive digital transformation in Africa.
Panelists Edgar Bouba, Cybastion’s Managing Director of Digital Solutions & Energy, and Yacouba Sow, FasoCode-X’s Director General, discussed key priorities to strengthen Africa’s digital competitiveness:
- Expanding AI and digital skills training to address the continent’s talent gap
- Building national digital infrastructure and energy
- Forging stronger collaboration among governments, universities, and the private sector to align with market needs
Africa holds only 3% of the world’s data centers despite growing demand for connectivity and digital services. Mr. Bouba emphasized that digital sovereignty depends on strong infrastructure, secure data, and reliable energy to leverage emerging technologies and drive long-term economic growth.
Citing the African Development Bank, Mr. Bouba said AI could potentially generate as much as $1 trillion in economic value for the continent. He highlighted Cybastion’s digital transformation projects in Burkina Faso as examples of local innovation supporting public sector modernization and financial inclusion.
Mr. Sow said one of Africa’s greatest challenge is a shortage of market-ready digital talent. By 2030, the workforce in Africa will require 625 million workers with digital skills. However, only a small percentage of tech professionals in Africa are trained in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and cloud computing.
FasoCode-X addresses that gap through its “Train with the Real Thing” model, which combines industry-led instruction, partnerships with public and private sectors, and a train-the-trainer approach that equips students for the workforce.
Cybastion’s Africa DigiEmpower training initiative, a partnership with Cisco Networking Academy and African governments, is operating in several countries to provide young people and women with in-demand digital skills to sustain a growing digital economy.
