As Africa grapples with food security and economic challenges, stakeholders at the Toyin Falola Interviews have emphasised the transformative role that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can play in revolutionising agriculture and driving economic growth across the continent.
This was the submission of stakeholders at the recent edition of the Toyin Falola Interviews, held across multiple social media platforms on Sunday, with the theme: “Artificial Intelligence and Africa’s Future.”
The event featured distinguished experts, including Dr. Ilesanmi Adesida, a leading scientist and engineer who serves as the Biggar Willett Professor (Emeritus) of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Professor Conrad Tucker, Director of Carnegie Mellon University-Africa (CMU-Africa); John Kamara, a globally recognised AI and data transformation expert; Professor Omowunmi Sadik, Distinguished Professor and Vice Provost for Academic Faculty Affairs at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT); Dr. Moses Asom, an entrepreneur and investor in deep-tech innovations; and Dr. Fayé A. Briggs, Founder and CEO of Afristec Inc.
During the discussion, Professor Omowunmi Sadik underscored AI’s transformative potential in agriculture, research, and industrial optimisation, stating that “AI offers immense potential for scientific advancement, for analysing complex datasets in economics, compound processes, agricultural practices, and disease diagnosis. It can accelerate research and innovation.” She highlighted her own work in biosensors as an example of AI’s real-world applications: “In my field of chemistry and biosensors, we have for many years used machine learning to analyse chemical sensor data. My research, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has developed sensors that help smallholder farmers detect fungal infections in crops like yams. Our sensors are already being used in Jamaica. Imagine the impact of scaling such solutions across Africa’s agricultural sector.”
She further stressed AI’s potential in industrial operations, particularly in Nigeria’s petrochemical industry, where it can enhance operational efficiency. “Nigeria has one of the largest petrochemical industries in the world, with the Dangote Refinery processing over 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day. AI can optimise these operations through predictive maintenance, quality control, and safety management.” On gender inclusion in AI, she called for targeted efforts to bridge the gender gap: “Women are grossly underrepresented in STEM. We need targeted educational initiatives, mentorship programmes, and networking opportunities to promote inclusion and address biases in AI development.”
Dr. Fayé A. Briggs highlighted AI’s role in optimising farming processes, sustainability, and economic monetisation. He argued that AI tools offer vast opportunities for growth and sustainability across various sectors, from healthcare to finance and education. “A product we are developing, Lunna, is leveraging AI to create localised educational products for African countries. AI allows us to generate African children’s books, comics, and cartoons quickly, opening new avenues for monetisation and economic participation.” He also noted AI’s potential in healthcare, citing research that shows its ability to enhance diagnosis accuracy by consolidating vast medical knowledge into predictive insights. “This is crucial for Africa, where under-resourced healthcare systems struggle to meet demand.”
Speaking on agriculture, he emphasized that “Africa is an agricultural-based continent. AI can enhance crop yields, improve sustainability, and optimise resource conservation. It is a game-changer for food security and economic stability.”
He also pointed out that AI’s integration into African economies must prioritize financial accessibility, stating, “The monetisation is very important to me because we need to find ways to improve the livelihoods of Africans.”
Professor Conrad Tucker emphasised the urgency of deep-tech education to prepare Africans to contribute meaningfully to AI development. He warned against Africa becoming a passive consumer of AI technologies, stating that “AI is not just an abstract concept. It involves hardware, networks, algorithms, and applications solving real-world problems. If we are serious about AI, we must focus on deep-tech education to ensure that African students are equipped with the necessary knowledge to contribute to AI’s evolution.”
He stressed that “if we do not train our students to compete globally, Africa will once again find itself as a consumer rather than a creator of AI. Deep technical knowledge is critical for scientific breakthroughs and global competitiveness.”
Echoing Tucker’s sentiments, John Kamara reinforced the need for educational reform, arguing that a new mindset is necessary among educators. “How do we re-train our education system? If educators themselves do not understand AI, how can they train the next generation? We need to reform education at all levels—primary, high school, and university—to equip our learners with the right skills.”
He warned that “without AI-literate educators, we are building sandcastles and hoping they will stand against the tide. We need to change the mindset of knowledge providers in Africa,” he said.
The discussion also touched on AI’s potential in agro-finance, where it can provide farmers with data-driven insights to access credit and improve decision-making. Experts agreed that for AI to drive agricultural growth, there must be significant investment in digital infrastructure and policy reforms to encourage AI adoption in farming.
