MacArthur President calls on Africa to act on AI plans

John Palfrey, the president of the MacArthur Foundation, has urged African nations to turn their AI plans into real solutions. He wants more investment in digital skills and tech that can boost healthcare, inclusion, and job opportunities.

“It is a matter of putting the right skills in the hands of the right young people and then believing in them that they can shape this future,” Mr Palfrey said.

He spoke during a session called “Positioning Africa in the Global AI Order: Capital, Talent, and Trust” at the BUILD 2026 Conference in Abuja.

The two-day event ran from 21 to 22 October and was hosted by the Nigeria AI Collective. The conference focused on the infrastructure, investment, governance, and partnerships needed for AI growth in Africa.

On the topic of technical talent, Mr Palfrey noted that Nigeria has many young people interested in technology. But many of them lack the skills and chances to play a meaningful role in the growing AI economy.

He referred to research in Nigeria, estimating that less than 10 percent of young people have the skills to seize these opportunities.

He praised the federal government's Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, calling it an important initiative backed by the MacArthur Foundation.

Mr Palfrey said that the government, charity groups, and the private sector all have key roles in linking young people to opportunities. He also mentioned the foundation’s Nigeria Next initiative and partnerships with groups like the Ford Foundation and Luminate as ways to bring money and ideas into Nigeria’s AI scene.

When addressing worries about critical thinking in a world increasingly reliant on tools like ChatGPT, Mr Palfrey warned against using AI in every part of life.

He argued that human judgment, personal experience, and critical thinking are still very important, especially in areas like healthcare, where understanding different communities can lead to significant discoveries.

Mr Palfrey also showed hope about Africa’s chance to shape global AI development, saying the continent still has time to influence how the technology grows.

“There’s urgency, though, to go from talk to build,” he said.

He called on governments, investors, and tech developers to focus on measurable results, such as better healthcare, inclusion for people with disabilities, gender equality, and the preservation of lesser-spoken African languages.

Mr Palfrey pointed out that concessional financing and charitable investment could help develop infrastructure and local AI solutions.

He said that investments in connectivity, computing infrastructure, and digital tools should go hand in hand with efforts to boost digital skills and improve people's lives.

“It’s one thing to lay the fibre. It’s one thing to have access to the tools. But is that actually that smartphone in the pocket of that young person helping them lead a better life, have greater opportunity, thrive in the global ecosystem?” he asked.