In a recent interview with Xinhua, Robert Tama Lisinge, director of the technology, innovation, connectivity and infrastructure division at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), highlighted the importance of the burgeoning China-Africa partnership in accelerating the adoption of AI and bridging the digital divide across the continent.
Lisinge's remarks came during the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, held from July 17 to 20 in Shanghai, China—a premier diplomatic and technological platform gathering government officials, industry leaders and academic experts from around the world.
Africa's Voice in Global AI Governance
With the rapid evolution of digital platforms, Lisinge stressed the urgent need for comprehensive international dialogues and cooperation. He noted that the ongoing conference in China provides an ideal platform to advance global conversations on governance, data ownership and transparency from an African perspective.
The director highlighted that the African continent is actively working to align global AI processes with continental frameworks, including the African Union's 50-year continental development blueprint, Agenda 2063. The international gathering allows Africa to present its unique developmental story while addressing critical deficits in research and development and technological infrastructure.
"China has invested massively in foundational infrastructure, the data centers, and other areas. China is putting resources in research and development. China is also encouraging scientists to come up with new development in this fast-moving space. African countries could partner with China. Some of them are already doing so, and learn from what China is already doing," Lisinge told Xinhua.
The Digital Divide and Language Barriers
According to Lisinge, a primary concern for Africa remains establishing technological sovereignty and ensuring that emerging tools reflect local cultural realities. He noted that currently, less than one percent of internet content is available in indigenous African languages, creating a substantial barrier to inclusive technological adoption across the region.
"We want to see local African languages applied in technology, and so we can partner with the big actors in this space, such as China," Lisinge said.
In addition to linguistic inclusivity, Lisinge stressed that the continent faces severe challenges regarding data storage and computing infrastructure, as only two percent of African data is currently stored locally. He urged partners to assist in establishing localized data centres, enabling African researchers to train advanced models within native institutions.
Building African Capability, Not Just Importing Technology
The UNECA official emphasized that Sino-Africa cooperation in the field of AI should prioritize long-term technical empowerment and infrastructure development over simple technology adoption.
"Essentially, I'm talking about building the technical ability of African countries and African researchers, to train a model, to store data, to process, on our continent," Lisinge stated.
Lisinge argued that regional development strategies must focus on creating customized technological systems rather than merely importing foreign software.
"Africa does not want just to be a user of AI applications that are developed elsewhere. Africa wants to develop its own applications that meet the contextual reality," he said.
The Power of Open-Source Collaboration
Lisinge praised China's significant contributions to developing highly accessible open-source models, which greatly reduce the high costs of data acquisition for African universities and research institutes. These affordable frameworks allow local scientists to innovate effectively and design practical digital solutions tailored to agriculture, education and healthcare needs.
The UNECA director urged African nations to study China's massive investments in foundational infrastructure and research capabilities. By leveraging Chinese expertise, open-source models and extensive capacity-building programmes, Africa can successfully accelerate its own digital evolution and deliver tangible socioeconomic benefits to remote populations across the continent.
With reporting from Xinhua News Agency | Source: UNECA
