Mobile Web Ghana CEO Calls for Africa to Take Leadership in AI Development

Director for Mobile Web Ghana Florence Toffa has urged countries on the African continent to take bold steps in becoming creative developers of artificial intelligence (AI) rather than passive recipients of the new technology.

Speaking at the Ghana Hubs Network 2025 Annual Conference of Hubs in Accra, Ms. Toffa emphasized the need for inclusive innovation and developing digital capacity to prevent the continent from lagging in the global AI revolution.

“Africa cannot stand by and allow others to chart the course of AI. We should innovate, construct, and engage fully—otherwise we will again be left behind,” she said in a private sector engagement in innovation panel.

The event held under the theme “Resilient Hubs, Thriving Futures: Building Ghana‘s Innovation Ecosystem,” the biennial conference brought together entrepreneurs, tech hubs, development agencies, and policymakers to deliberate on prospects for digital inclusivity and job creation.

Ms. Toffa urged African stakeholders to move beyond applying the use of AI solutions like ChatGPT and begin developing their own AI solutions. She asserted that building local expertise and infrastructure is the future of Africa.

“It‘s not just about using technology. We have to build it too. We require AI labs, developer training, and solutions that solve African problems,” she added.

Closing the Funding Gap Through Partnerships
She also discussed the challenge of funding innovation clusters. Referring back to her own experience, she recalled how a development partner asked Mobile Web Ghana to have proposals prepared for it on their behalf—without asking for any share—simply to help bridge the resource gap.

“They understood we were good at implementation and training but poor in fund sourcing. That kind of backing is what our ecosystem needs—actual partnerships that leverage our capability,” she clarified.

Creating Ethical and Inclusive AI for Africa
Being one of the few African institutions to sign the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs, Mobile Web Ghana has committed to do the following:

Establishing AI clubs within senior high schools to introduce young Ghanaians to AI at an early age

Establishing digital literacy training for policymakers and civil society

Establishing the ‘AI for SDGs Fellowship‘ to empower women and youth to create AI-fueled innovations

Promoting open data and accessible AI tools for grassroots innovation

Florence Toffa ended with an impassioned call to African tech ecosystems to unite.

“Digital future is here. The question is—will Africa define it or only utilize it? We must act now, together.”

Source: Isaac Kofi Dzokpo