The African AI Governance Index (AAGI) Foundation today announced the launch of Africa’s first comprehensive AI governance intelligence platform, introducing open-access tools that track policy development and infrastructure capacity across all 54 African Union member states.
The announcement marks the emergence of a new institution purpose-built to answer a question that governments, investors, and development partners have struggled to resolve: Where does Africa actually stand on AI governance?
“The data existed. It was scattered across 54 different places, buried in government websites, locked in consultant reports, or simply uncollected,” said Kwame A. A. Opoku, Founder and Executive Director of AAGI. “We built the infrastructure to centralize it, verify it, and make it useful. Africa cannot lead on AI governance if no one can see where Africa stands.”
LIVE NOW: THE AFRICAN AI POLICY TRACKER
AAGI’s Policy Tracker is now operational, monitoring national AI strategies, regulatory frameworks, and institutional developments across every AU member state in real time. The platform represents the first open-access resource of its kind, a single source of truth for understanding which African nations have published AI strategies, which are in development, and which have yet to begin.
The tracker addresses a critical gap. Global indices like Oxford Insights’ Government AI Readiness Index cover 195 countries but lack the granular, Africa-specific depth that regional stakeholders require. AAGI’s 80-indicator methodology, double the indicator count of leading global indices provides the resolution necessary for meaningful policy guidance.
SHIPPING NEXT: AFRICA’S DATA CENTER INTELLIGENCE PLATFORM
AAGI will release its Infrastructure Tracker in the coming weeks, delivering unprecedented visibility into Africa’s compute landscape. The platform tracks:
223
Data Center Facilities
38
Countries Covered
$3.49B
Market Value (2024)
~780 MW
IT Capacity Tracked
The Infrastructure Tracker goes beyond facility counts. It maps submarine cable landing points, hyperscaler presence (Microsoft, Google, AWS, Oracle), energy sources powering compute infrastructure, regulatory environments governing data centers, and AI-specific compute capacity. Nothing comparable exists for the African market.
“Africa holds less than 2% of the world’s data centers while preparing to absorb the largest demographic expansion in human history,” Opoku noted. “Investors are making billion-dollar infrastructure decisions without adequate intelligence. We’re fixing that.”
THE AAGI METHODOLOGY: 80 INDICATORS, 8 PILLARS
AAGI’s assessment framework will be published in full, providing unprecedented transparency into how African nations are evaluated. The methodology spans eight pillars:
- Strategy & Vision (15%) – National AI strategies, roadmaps, and political commitment
- Governance & Regulation (15%) – Legal frameworks, regulatory bodies, and enforcement capacity
- Infrastructure & Data (15%) – Compute capacity, connectivity, and data ecosystem maturity
- Human Capital & Research (15%) – AI talent, education pipelines, and research output
- Innovation & Ecosystem (10%) – Startups, funding flows, and private sector activity
- Ethics & Inclusion (10%) – Bias mitigation, digital rights, and equitable access
- Regional & International Integration (10%) – AU alignment, cross-border cooperation, and global engagement
- Implementation & Impact (10%) – Evidence of execution, measurable outcomes, and budget allocation
The complete Indicator Codebook, Data Collection Protocols, and Scoring Criteria will be released publicly, allowing governments to self-assess and researchers to build on AAGI’s foundation.
CURRENT PROGRESS: BUILDING THE INSTITUTION
Global Advisory Board
AAGI is assembling a Global Advisory Board comprising AI governance experts, African policymakers, technology leaders, and development finance professionals. The Board will provide strategic guidance, methodology validation, and institutional credibility as AAGI scales across the continent. Announcements on Board composition are forthcoming.
10-Country Pilot Assessment
AAGI has initiated its pilot assessment program, targeting 10 nations representing Africa’s regional and economic diversity. The pilot will stress-test the 80-indicator methodology through rigorous data collection, government engagement, and local validation before continental rollout.
First Country Partner: Botswana
AAGI has formalized its Country Partner model with Ai4Botswana, establishing Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Botswana as Founding Pilot Nations. The partnerships currently in MOU finalizations demonstrate AAGI’s approach: pairing continental intelligence infrastructure with on-ground validation capability. Country Partners provide local data collection, government access, and contextual verification that global indices cannot replicate.
“We’re not building a remote observation post,” Stella Agara, Founding Partner explained. “We’re building a network. Every Country Partner strengthens the data, validates the methodology, and extends AAGI’s reach. By the time we’ve covered 54 nations, we’ll have 54 partners invested in the accuracy of what we publish.”
WHY THIS MATTERS NOW
Africa’s data center market is projected to reach $6.81 billion by 2030, growing at 12.86% annually. Hyperscalers are breaking ground across the continent. The African Union has endorsed continental AI frameworks. National governments are drafting strategies. Development finance institutions are allocating billions to digital infrastructure.
These decisions are being made without adequate intelligence.
Which countries have the regulatory clarity to host AI research facilities? Which have the energy infrastructure to power compute at scale? Which have the talent pipelines to staff AI operations? Which have the governance maturity to be trusted with sensitive data?
AAGI exists to answer these questions with data, not speculation.
PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
AAGI is actively seeking partners across multiple categories to accelerate continental coverage and institutional impact:
Country Partners – Organizations with on-ground presence who can provide local data collection, government introductions, and validation for their respective nations. Current priority: SADC region (Southern Africa), East African Community, and ECOWAS.
Knowledge Partners – Research institutions, think tanks, and academic centers who can contribute methodological expertise, co-author publications, and extend AAGI’s intellectual credibility.
Funding Partners – Foundations, development finance institutions, corporate sponsors, and impact investors aligned with Africa’s digital transformation. AAGI operates as a non-profit foundation committed to open-access intelligence.
Strategic Partners – Organizations that can amplify AAGI’s reach through platforms, convenings, and networks. This includes conferences, media outlets, government bodies, and multilateral institutions.
Data Partners – Entities with proprietary datasets on African infrastructure, investment flows, or technology deployment who are willing to collaborate on intelligence products.
Advisory Board Members – Distinguished individuals who can provide strategic guidance, open doors, and lend institutional credibility to AAGI’s mission.
ABOUT THE AFRICAN AI GOVERNANCE INDEX FOUNDATION
The African AI Governance Index (AAGI) Foundation is a non-profit research institution developing the first comprehensive assessment of AI governance readiness across all 54 African Union member states. Through its Policy Tracker, Infrastructure Tracker, and annual Index publication, AAGI provides governments, investors, development partners, and researchers with the intelligence required to make informed decisions about Africa’s AI future.
AAGI is registered in Ghana with subsidiary registrations in Kenya and Delaware (USA). The Foundation operates on a Country Partner model, combining continental data infrastructure with on-ground validation capability in each nation assessed.
