The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy under ex-president Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, has been appointed by the African Union (AU) as Co-chairman of the African Scientific Research and Innovation Council (AU-ASRIC).
In this pivotal role, Pantami is expected to significantly influence the development of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) Policy and Strategy for Africa. This framework will affect all 54 nations across the continent.
A prominent advocate for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Pantami established the National Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) as Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
He was also instrumental in formulating Nigeria’s first Digital Economy Policy, which focused on fostering a Digital Society and promoting Emerging Technologies.
Notably, Pantami has achieved recognition as the first African to be appointed a Fellow by the Chartered Institute of Information Security in the United Kingdom, underscoring his contributions to the field.
Professor Anicia Nicola Peter from Namibia is joining him as co-chair and a respected researcher specializing in human-computer interaction, social media, and gamification.
Professor Peter has previously led Namibia’s 4IR Presidential Task Force and is an adjunct Research Professor at the University of Namibia.
The council comprises a distinguished lineup of experts, including Professor Khaleed Ghedira from Tunisia and Professor Maha Grima from Morocco.
Their collaborative efforts are poised to accelerate the continent’s embrace of advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity.