Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, has been appointed by the African Union (AU) as Co-chairman of the African Scientific Research and Innovation Council (AU-ASRIC).
In this new position, the AU stated that Pantami will play a key role in developing the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) Policy and Strategy for Africa, which will influence all 54 countries across the continent.
Professor Isa Ali Pantami, former Minister of Communications in Nigeria, is a prominent advocate for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).
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His achievements include establishing the National Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) during his tenure as Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
He also played a pivotal role in formulating Nigeria’s first Digital Economy Policy, which focuses heavily on Digital Society and Emerging Technologies.
Significantly, Professor Pantami is the first African to be recognized as a Fellow by the Chartered Institute of Information Security in the United Kingdom.
The African Union (AU) has also appointed Professor Anicia Nicola Peter from Namibia as co-chair of the African Scientific Research and Innovation Council (AU-ASRIC) alongside Pantami. Professor Peter is a distinguished researcher with expertise in Human-Computer Interaction, Social Media, Gamification, and other emerging technologies. She previously led Namibia’s 4IR Presidential Task Force and serves as an adjunct Research Professor at the University of Namibia.
The council includes prominent experts such as Professor Khaleed Ghedira from Tunisia, Professor Maha Grima from Morocco, and other renowned academics and policymakers. Together, they aim to accelerate the continent’s adoption of cutting-edge technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity.