Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) has positioned itself at the forefront of Africa’s digital transformation with the official launch of the AI Center of Excellence for Capacity Building in Africa (AICEX-Africa). The new center represents a transformative step toward boosting AI expertise, strengthening data innovation, and promoting open science across the continent.
The launch of the centre that happened during the VIZ-Africa 2025 engagements brought together researchers, policymakers, innovators, and industry leaders, underscoring JKUAT’s dedication to harness the full potential of artificial intelligence for the benefit of Kenya and Africa at large.
Under the theme “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence and Collaborative Platforms for Secure, Scalable Data Sharing and Visualization Towards the SDGs,” JKUAT hosted the VIZ-Africa 2025 Conference on 3-4 December 2025, bringing together diverse stakeholders to explore Africa’s evolving AI landscape.
The Chief Guest, Ambassador Phillip Thigo, MBS, Special Envoy on Technology for the President of Kenya, delivered a compelling address on Africa’s technological future. He emphasized that as technology rapidly transforms every sector, health, agriculture, education, governance, and industry, Africa must strengthen its capacity to create, govern, and own its digital solutions. He cautioned that relying heavily on outsourced technologies limits the continent’s autonomy and slows innovation, urging African nations to invest in nurturing local talent, building robust data ecosystems, and developing home-grown AI models.
Ambassador Thigo described AI as a strategic and political capability, anchored on three critical “commons”: a shared understanding of AI, shared and accessible data, and strong human capacity. He noted that without skilled people to interpret, train, and deploy AI responsibly, technological progress remains incomplete.
In her remarks, Prof. Victoria Ngumi emphasized that Artificial Intelligence is already reshaping learning, governance, and research, and urged African universities to adopt it responsibly and equitably. She noted that Kenya and many countries in the Global South face a shortage of advanced AI specialists, calling for stronger capacity-building efforts and expanded training programs. “AI is no longer a distant promise; it is here with us,” she remarked, highlighting JKUAT’s leadership through initiatives such as AICEX-Africa.
Prof. Muliaro Wafula, Associate Professor at JKUAT and Chair of the VIZ Africa 2025 Organizing Committee, underscored the conference’s focus on capacity building. He reiterated the critical role of open science, particularly in promoting transparency, reproducibility, and access to shared infrastructure and resources. Prof. Wafula also announced the development of the Data Sharing Content Framework (DASA), designed to support responsible and standardized data sharing across African institutions.
The conference also featured key presentations from experts across Africa and beyond, covering themes such as responsible AI governance, AI Ethics and Social Justice, AI for Economic Transformation, and AI for Research and Innovation Ecosystem for achieving SDGs in Africa. The sessions showcased practical tools, case studies, and new insights illustrating how AI can drive African-led solutions when grounded in collaboration and contextual relevance.
