Former Nigerian Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, has been appointed as Co-chairman of the African Scientific Research and Innovation Council (AU-ASRIC) by the African Union (AU). In this influential role, Pantami will help shape Africa’s policy and strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), which will impact all 54 countries on the continent.
Pantami, a leading advocate for 4IR, previously served as Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and played a key role in establishing the National Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR). His contributions to the digital economy include crafting Nigeria’s first Digital Economy Policy, which focused on creating a digitally inclusive society and embracing emerging technologies.
Notably, Pantami is the first African to be recognized as a Fellow by the Chartered Institute of Information Security in the United Kingdom.
Joining him as co-chair of the council is Professor Anicia Nicola Peter from Namibia, a distinguished researcher with expertise in Human-Computer Interaction, Social Media, and Gamification. Professor Peter also led Namibia’s 4IR Presidential Task Force and currently serves as an adjunct Research Professor at the University of Namibia.
The AU-ASRIC council is composed of top experts, including Professor Khaleed Ghedira from Tunisia and Professor Maha Grima from Morocco, whose combined efforts are set to propel Africa’s adoption of advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity.
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