This story was contributed to TechCabal by Conrad Onyango/bird.

African governments are ramping up national strategies on the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a fresh hunt for crucial data that would help improve public service delivery and governance.

AI is no longer a preserve of the private sector as Africa’s public sector hops on a global trend where governments join the hunt for robust data to transform how they deliver services to an increasingly tech-savvy population.

Oxford Insights, in its ‘Government AI Readiness Index 2021,’ shows governments across the continent are turning to AI to improve their public services and gain strategic economic advantages.

More governments, the report says, are building up AI ecosystems-backed by national strategies to capitalize on a 10-year global boom that has seen private sector firms commercialize AI research and development. The report looked at developments over the past year.

“As governments are increasingly aware of the opportunities and risks presented by AI, we see a continued proliferation of national AI strategies globally,” said the report.

The report found 30% of 160 countries – more than 41 of these African nations – in the global rankings have a national AI strategy, with 9% more at least drafting one.

Mauritius with a score of 52.71 out of 100 is the most AI-ready African public sector, followed by Egypt (49.75), South Africa (48.24).

These three are the only African countries whose scores were higher than the global average of 47.42.

Mauritius and Egypt are the only countries with an official National AI Strategy that sets out a four-year plan from 2018-2022 to guide progress in this area.

In mid-2021, Egypt launched its national AI strategy, christened “Artificial Intelligence for Development and Prosperity” making clear its ambitious development goals and economic growth.

South Africa has established a Presidential Commission on Fourth Industrial Revolution which Oxford Insights regional expert, Abdijabar Mohamed says is thought to be a prelude to an official national AI strategy.

In Kenya, an AI task force of 11 experts drawn from other stakeholders, the government agencies, the private sector, and academia are expected to provide a roadmap on how the East African nation can apply AI.

“These initiatives can be seen to indicate a move towards more structured governance around AI in the region,” according to the report.

The report ranks governments based on how they develop and manage AI, backed by appropriate regulation and attention to governance and ethics.

It also measures the public sector’s internal digital capacity like skills and practices that supports its adaptability in the face of new technologies.

Tunisia (45.71), Morocco (42.38), and Ghana (40.19) are also among the top African countries that show high prospects of leveraging AI to boost governance and spur development.

While Botswana and Ethiopia do not feature among Africa’s top ten countries in terms of AI readiness score, the report points to significant directions these economies are taking towards building their AI ecosystems.

Two years ago, the Ethiopian Council of Ministers established an artificial intelligence (AI) research and development center and began training its youth on cyber threats detection.

In Botswana, the government is encouraging organizations to set up research labs around the country and gather AI talent.
While the report acknowledges a positive trajectory for Africa through government efforts to enact measures and strategies to guide the development and use of AI, there are still hurdles beyond lack of enough talent and capacity.

“There is a paucity of official government data alongside a lack of robust governance structures and political conflict,” said Mohamed, resulting in poor rankings for many countries.

The report adds, “The main priority for many sub-Saharan African countries is thus to develop talent and build capacity. Only then can strategies be developed and implemented to guide AI readiness and ethical considerations of AI.”

Source: Techcabal

Also READ: China’s Reach Into Africa’s Digital Sector Worries Experts.

Sidaan ognahay technology gu sidiisaba waa seef laba af leh. Waddamada soo koraya ama dhibaatooyinku ka dheceen, oo musuqa iyo macaluushu daashadeen islamarkaasna aan aqoon sare iyo hay’ado dawli ah oo adag aan lahayn oo danta dadkooda mar walba ka hormariya wax kasta, waxaa inta badan aad uga ugaarsada hay’ado iyo shirkado waxba aan xeerinayn oo wax walba xoog, xeel iyo xatooyo hadba kay ku helayaan ku qaadanaya.
Xogaha si gaar ah waayadaan loo kala xado waxaa ka mid ah xogta u gaarka ah shaqsiga (private personal data) ama xogta dadweynaha dal ama gobol dhan ku oo iyagoo shirkadahaasi samaynaya wax la yiraahdo “mass data harvesting”. Haddii xogahaasi gacan khaldan galaan, inkastoo xitaa marka ujeeddada horeba aan khiyaano ku jirin ay adagtahay in dammaanad loo helo xafidida xogtaas, arrintaasi cawaaqib xumo iyo khatar aan laga soo kaban karin ayay mustaqbalka ummaddeenna u leedahay haddii aan laga hortagin oo aan aad looga taxaddarin. Halisaah ku jiraa waa badanyihiin.

DHIBAATOOYINKA KA DHALAN KARA XOGTA LA XADO

Tusaale waxaa jira wax la yiraahdo “xatooyo aqoonsi” ama “identity theft” oo ah in adoo halkaan taagan qof kale adiga iska kaa dhigo wax kastoo dambi ahna magacaaga ku geli karo ayna adagtahay in la ogaado ama marka la ogaado laga gar helo. Waxaase kasii daran, haddii hiida sidahaaga la qaato adoo aan oggolaan ama hidda sidaha dad dal ama gobol deggan la aruusado oo inta laab (laboratory)la geeyo khariidda hidda sidaha qofkaas ama shacabkaas la soo dejiyo (human genome mapping) waxaa si sahlan loo fara-gelin karaa ama wax looga bedeli karaa mustaqbalka dabiicad kasta ama astaan kasta oo qofkaas ama dadkaas leeyihiin oo hidda-siduhu xambaarsanaa taasoo qayb ka ah waxa loo yaqaanno walaaqidda iyo bedelidda hiddaha (genetic manipulation) si ay uga soo baxaan noole (ama dad markaan) leh astaamo ka duwan kuwii lagu yiqiin (genetically modified organisms). Sidoo kale waxaa si sahlan lagu ogaan karaa wixii “cillad” ah – sida cudurrada la iska dhaxlo oo lagugu caaradi karo (sida shirkadaha caymiska) ama astaan fiican oo u gaar ah dadkaas/qofkaas kaasoo lagaa koobiyaysan karo adoo aan wax idan ah lagu waydiisan halkii adiga kaliya ama qowmiyaddaas Alle siiyey. Markay ugu darantahay cunto dadka hidda-sidohooda la yaqaan ay u nugulyihiin ama ku jirran karaan oo ku dhiman karaan dadka aan hidda sidahaas lahayna aan waxba u dhimayn ama xitaa dulin sida bacteria ama virus adiga kaliya u nugushahay ayaa dalkaas lagu faafin karaa ama dhalmada lagala diriro. Waa arrimaha mustaqbalka adduunyadu ka baqayso. Codkaaga oo la xado ayaa sixun loo adeegsan karaa.

XOGTAADA HADDII LA XADO LAMA SOO CELIN KARO

Haddaba, bal suurayso ama ka warran haddii furaha omputerkaaga ama telefoonkaaga ama emailkaaga ama bangigaaga lagaa xado ama la jabsado? Waa khatar weyn. Laakiin ugu yaraan furayaasha noocan ah, inkastoo laga yaabo in khasaare laga soo kaban karo lagaa gaarsiiyo, misna furihii lagaa xaday ama aad illowday oo kaa lumay waa la bedeli karaa. Xal farsamo ayaa loo heli karaa. Laakiin waxaa taas aad ugasii khatarsan haddii furaha shaqsiyaddaada la jabsado oo lagaa xado! Kan lagama daba tegi karo. Kaaga sii darane hal qof lama jabsanayo ee mararka qaar (tusaale xilliyada doorashada ama macaluuli iyo qudin dad laga yaaabo inay malaayin kor u dhaafaan dal tabar yar ka jirto) waxaa la qaadan karaa karaa xogta khaaska ah ee Qaran dhan dadkiisa oo aan fahansanayn ama ka feejignayn khatarta ku sugan isticmaalka tiknoolajiyadaha kala duwan ee suurtagaliya in xogtaas la xado. Si bareer ah (xatooyo) ama aan bareer ahayn (dayac). Waxaa laga quusan in dib dambe adigu xogtaada masuul uga noqotid.

SIDA AY KU HELAAN SHIRKADUHU XOGTA

Shirkadaha iyo hay’adaha khiyaamada ka dambeeya inta badan waxay isticmaalaan oo ka faa’iidaystaan gol-daloolooyin dalka ay markaas dadkiisa ku duulayaan uu leeyahay sida 1) Dawlad taag daran oo aan dad aqoon iyo khibrad u leh tiknoolajiyada lahayn 2) Musuqmaasuq iyo inay laaluushaan dadkii ama hay’adihii dawladda ee u xilsaarnaa hawshan 3) Dalkaas oo aanay ka jirin shuruuc lagu xakameeyo soo saarka, soo waarididda iyo adeegsiga tiknoolajiyadaha la falgala oo lagu qaato xogta khaaska ah ee qofka ama tan dadweynaha 4) Dalkaas oo aan lahayn ama hadduu jiro lagu dhaqmin shuruuc ilaalisa xogta khaaska ah ee shaqsiga ama dadweynaha sida hidda sidaha (DNA), saxiixa suul-saarka (finger-printing), sawirka indhaha (irisis – ama ratiinaha gunta dambe ee isha), kaameradaha wajiga dadka takoora (facial recognition), iwm. Soomaaliya inta badan sifooyinka waddamada caynkan ah ayay leedahay. Waxaa intaas u dheer wacyiga guud eee dadwaynaha oo la dhihi karo wuu hooseeyaa gaar ahaan markay timaaddo arrimahan oo kale.

Waxay kale oo shirkadaha ka baayacmushtara tiknoolajiyadaha caynkaas ah ku beer-laxawsadaan dalalka caynkaas ah in ay ka caawinayaan ka hortagga khiyaamooyin la xiriira doorashooyin ama raashin qaybin, ama lacag mushaira, iwm. Tusaale ahaan xilliyada doorashooyinku jiraan, waxay tiknoolajigooda ku suuq-geeyaan in ay dalkaas ka caawinayaan inaan doorashada la khiyaamin ama lagu shuban (election fraud). Xaqiiqadu waxaa weeye, sida dhawaan meelo ka mid ah Somalia ka dhacday, in xogtii dadweynahana la aruursado oo ay shisheeye gacanta u gasho doorashadiina lagu shubto (lose-lose situation).
Waxaa muuqata inaan laga taxadarin markii horeba ama la la tixgalin fraud ka technolajiyadda lagu samaynayo. Ma aha run in hay’ad walba oo bani-aadannimo ama shirkad kastoo ka ganacsata tiknoolajiyada ay doonayaan inay xogtaas qaataan laakiin qaar badan ayaa ujeddadoodu saas tahay. Khayr wax kaama dhimo ee shar u tooghay iyo taxaddar weeye deedna.

DUNIDA HORUMARTAY DOORASHO UMA ADEEGSATO

Waxay tahay inla is waydiiyo, dawladaha farsamada iyo tiknoolajiyada ku horumaray, sida kuwa reer galbeedka oo iyagu sooba saaray tiknoolajiyadaha noocan ah, ma u isticmaalaan doorashooyinkooda? Jawaabtu waa maya. Tusaale ahaan in badan Yurubta galbeed wali qalin rasaas ama qalin koobbi ayaa lagu codeeyaa tiiyoo qofku xaashi isku tillaab ku hor dhigo qofka ama xisbiga uu u codaynayo ama mayee computer tuujinayo laakiin aan indho iyo gacmo midna laga sawirin.

Maxay ugu isticmaali waayeen? Intaan su’aashaas laga jawaabin, ogow waddamadaani farsamada ku hormaray inay 1. Aqoon sare ayay u leeyihiin tiknoolajiyada 2. Shuruuc adag oo xakamaysaa u taal 3. Musuqa waa lala dagaallamaa 4. Shuruuc gaar ah oo xakamaysa ururinta, kaydinta, adeegsiga, iyo isu-gudbinta xogta khaaska ah ee shaqsiga ayaa jira (privacy laws).
Intaasoo jirta,haddaan jawaabta usoo noqonno, haddana dalalkaasi wayku kalsoonaan waayeen ama isku aammini waayeen adeegsiga tiknoolajiyadan maaddaama aan cidina dammaanad qaadi karin inaan xogtaas la aruuriyay aanay gacan khaldan galayn oo si khaldan loo adeegsanayn. Si kasle haddii loo dhigo, dhibkeeda ayaa dheefteeda ka badan. Deedna taxaddar awgiis (precautionary principle), dhinac baa la iska dhigay in badan.

XAALADDDA SOOMAALIYA IYO MUSTAQBALKA

Soomaaliya waxaa la quuddarraynayaa in doorashooyin ka dhacaan, noocay rabaan ha noqdeene, sannadka soo socda 2020 haddii Alle idmo. Sidoo kale Dawlad Goboleedyada qaar ayaa qorshaynaya inay mustaqbalka dhaw doorashooyin maxalli ah dadkooda u diyaariyaan.

Dadka Soomaalidu aad aalaaba uguma baraarugsana dhibaha ka iman kara xogtaada oo la xado oo si xun loo isticmaalo. Shucuubta adduunku maanta waxay meel walba u dagaallamayaan xifdinta iyo xagsashada xogtooda khaaska sida sawirradooda, kuwa carruurtooda iyo qaraabadooda, ciwaankooda, xogta qoyskooda, xogta caafimaadkooda, iwm iskaba daa inay oggolaadaan in si sahlan xogta hodda sidohooda (DNA) lagu qaato e. Ama astaamaha wajigooda ama sawirka indhohooda. Tusaale ahaan, maalmahaan waxaa wararka adduunka laga dheehanayay in dadweynaha mudaharaadyada ka samaynaya Hong Kong ay si gaar ah u beegsanayaan oo si carol eh xididdada ugu siibayaan kaameradaha qabta oo takoora wajiga dadka. Waa dad aad ugu baraarugsan khatarta arrimhaasi leeyihiin si ummaddu aanay ugu ekaan kuwo xabsi kor ka furan ku jirta (mass surveillance).

GUNAANAD IYO TALO-BIXIN KOOBAN

Ugu dambayn, hay’adaha Dawligaa iyo kuwa aan Dawliga ahayn ee Soomaaliyeed, Heer Qaran iyo Heer Dawlad Goboleedba, waxaa la gudboon inay taxaddar wayn iska saaraan arrimahan. Baarlammaannaada waxaaa waajib ah inay soo saaraan shuruuc xakamaysa soo waarididda, adeegsiga iyo ka ganacsiga tiknoolajiyadahaas iyagoo aan wax dammaanad ah loo hayn (tiiyooba ay adagtahay in loo helo). Sidoo kale Baarlammaanada soomaalida waa inay soo saaraan shuruuc difaacaysa xogta khaaska ah ee muwaaddiniinta. Sidoo kale meelaha hadda laga isticmaalo sida maddaarrada, ciidamada mushaharkooda, baasaboorrada, iwm waa in laga daba tagaa lana hubiyaa inay jirto dammaanad adag iyo qaab lagu xaqiijinayo bad-qabnimada xogtaas (safety and security of the collected and stored data). Waa in xogtaas cidaan aayn dadkii laga aruuriryay aysan yeelan karin (ownership).
Dawladda kaliya, heerkay rabto ha ahaatee, masuuliyaddu ma saarna ee hay’adaha aan Dawliga ahayn sida kuwa Bulshada Rayidka ah iyo weliba muwaaddin walba xil ayaa ka saran u qareemidda xifdinta iyo difaaca xogaha khaaska ah ee dadweynaha.

Waxaa qoray Dr. Bashir Mohamed Hussein (Facebook post 2019)

Sidoo kale akhri: China’s Reach Into Africa’s Digital Sector Worries Experts

China’s Reach Into Africa’s Digital Sector Worries Experts

NAIROBI — 

Chinese companies like Huawei and the Transsion group are responsible for much of the digital infrastructure and smartphones used in Africa. Chinese phones built in Africa come with already installed apps for mobile money transfer services that increase the reach of Chinese tech companies. But while many Africans may find the availability of such technology useful, the trend worries some experts on data management.

China has taken the lead in the development of Africa’s artificial intelligence and communication infrastructure.

In July 2020, Cameroon contracted with Huawei, a Chinese telecommunication infrastructure company, to equip government data centers. In 2019, Kenya was reported to have signed the same company to deliver smart city and surveillance technology worth $174 million.

A study by the Atlantic Council, a U.S.-based think tank, found that Huawei has developed 30% of the 3G network and 70% of the 4G network in Africa.

Eric Olander is the managing editor of the Chinese Africa Project, a media organization examining China’s engagement in Africa. He says Chinese investment is helping Africa grow.

“The networking equipment is really what is so vital and what the Chinese have been able to do with Huawei, in particular, is they bring the networking infrastructure together with state-backed loans and that’s the combination that has proven to be very effective. So, a lot of governments that would not be able to afford 4G and 5G network upgrades are able to get these concessional loans from the China Exim Bank that are used and to purchase Huawei equipment,” Olander said.

Data compiled by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a Canberra-based defense and policy research organization, show China has built 266 technology projects in Africa ranging from 4G and 5G telecommunications networks to data centers, smart city projects that modernize urban centers and education programs.

But while the new technology has helped modernize the African continent, some say it comes at a cost that is not measured in dollars.

China loaned the Ethiopian government more than $3 billion to be used to upgrade its digital infrastructure. Critics say the money helped Ethiopia expand its authoritarian rule and monitor telecom network users.

According to an investigation by The Wall Street Journal, Huawei technology helped the Ugandan and Zambian governments spy on government critics. In 2019, Uganda procured millions of dollars in closed-circuit television surveillance technology from Huawei, ostensibly to help control urban crime.

Police in the East African nation admitted to using the system’s facial recognition ability supplied by Huawei to arrest more than 800 opposition supporters last year.

Bulelani Jili, a cybersecurity fellow at the Belfer Center at Harvard University, says African citizens must be made aware of the risks in relations with Chinese tech companies.

“There is need [for] greater public awareness and attention to this issue in part because it’s a key metric surrounding both development but also the kind of Africa-China relations going forward…. We should also be thinking about data sovereignty is going to be a key factor going forward.”

Jili said data sharing will create more challenges for relations between Africa and China.

“There are security questions about data, specifically how it’s managed, who owns it, and how governments depend on private actors to provide them the technical capacity to initiate certain state services.”

London-based organization Privacy International says at least 24 African countries have laws that protect the personal data of their citizens. But experts say most of those laws are not enforced.

Source: https://www.voanews.com/

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Agricultural sciences and new technologies offer an “enormous potential” to Morocco for the development of the farming sector, said, Thursday in New York, the permanent representative of Morocco to the UN, Omar Hilale.

“Today, these sciences and technologies are helping to increase the production of small and medium farmers as well as helping to produce more food with less water and energy,” Hilale said at a high-level virtual meeting on “the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in achieving post-Covid food security.”

The Green Morocco Plan, a national agricultural strategy in force since 2008, has helped boost agriculture and make it the main engine of growth of the Kingdom’s economy, through job creation and poverty reduction, he said, stressing that the vision of Morocco in the agricultural field tends to ensure national food self-sufficiency and opens the possibility of exporting quality agricultural products to the world.

The ambassador also noted that new fertilizer technology using artificial intelligence focuses on improving the efficiency and use of soil inputs, and in water-poor regions, irrigation plays a fundamental economic and social role, contributing to agricultural productivity and income raising of rural people.

Water scarcity, accentuated by climate change, represents a growing challenge for farmers, he added, recalling that Morocco has invested heavily in feeding the soil with the right amount of nutrients and in the use of new technologies to optimize water management, in order to promote a more sustainable irrigation model.

Hilale also noted that in a context of crisis marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, it is necessary to make a paradigm shift towards development, while transforming this global crisis into “an opportunity for sustainability”.

The pandemic “has changed the way consumers and producers connect with each other,” he said, noting that Artificial Intelligence is now becoming a tool to optimize agribusiness value chains and improve online business for small and medium farmers.

The high-level meeting on the role of AI in achieving post-Covid food security was co-organized by the Moroccan and Nigerian Permanent Missions to the UN to highlight the role that cooperation can play in particular in the areas of sustainable agriculture, information and technology, climate change, water management, and renewable energy.

POSTED BY NORTH AFRICA POST

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