The African Union (AU) has appointed Nigeria’s former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Pantami as Co-chairman of the African Scientific Research and Innovation Council (AU-ASRIC).
AU says Pantami would play a pivotal role in crafting the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) Policy and Strategy for Africa, which will impact all 54 countries on the continent.
Pantami is a leading figure in the promotion of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and contributed to the establishment of the National Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) during his time as Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
Pantami, the first African to be recognised as a Fellow by the Chartered Institute of Information Security in the United Kingdom, also played a role in the creation of Nigeria’s first Digital Economy Policy, with a strong emphasis on Digital Society and Emerging Technologies.
According to the AU, joining Pantami as co-chair of the council is Professor Anicia Nicola Peter from Namibia, a renowned researcher with extensive experience in Human-Computer Interaction, Social Media, Gamification, and other emerging technologies. Professor Peter also led Namibia’s 4IR Presidential Task Force and is an adjunct Research Professor at the University of Namibia.
The council boasts an impressive roster of experts, including Professor Khaleed Ghedira from Tunisia, Professor Maha Grima from Morocco, and other distinguished academics and policymakers. Their collective efforts are expected to drive the continent’s adoption of cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity.
