Ghana, Lesotho Lead Push for AI and Digital Integration in Africa

Ghana and Lesotho are stepping up efforts to position Africa as a key player in the global digital economy, unveiling new initiatives in artificial intelligence (AI), policy harmonization, and innovation partnerships.

The agreement followed talks in Accra between Samuel Nartey George, Ghana’s Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, and Lesotho’s Minister of Communication, Science and Technology, Nthati Moorosi. Both ministers noted that Africa risks fragmentation if countries pursue isolated digital policies instead of pooling expertise and resources.

Ghana outlined an ambitious agenda, including the Global Entrepreneurship Festival in November, which is expected to bring together 100,000 ICT innovators and international investors, and the Divas of ICT Forum in 2026, co-hosted with Google, that will convene global technology leaders such as Apple, Nvidia, and Microsoft in Accra.

On the policy front, Ghana is preparing to roll out 15 new legislative frameworks on AI, cybersecurity, data protection, and digital economy regulation. These frameworks, George said, will be made available to partner nations, including Lesotho, to help shape national strategies across the continent.

The partnership also aims to advance AI applications for agriculture, including large language models to help farmers overcome linguistic barriers. Ghana will connect its universities and research institutions with experts from Lesotho to support the project.

A wider coalition is taking shape. Ghana and Lesotho agreed to establish a virtual working group of about ten African countries, among them Rwanda, Nigeria, Kenya, Namibia, Guinea, and Gambia, with South Africa expected to join. The group will develop a shared digital roadmap, coordinated by Smart Africa as secretariat.

The discussions also touched on Africa’s limited leverage in digital markets, particularly on content monetization and value capture from global platforms. George called for direct engagement with senior executives at firms such as Google and Meta to accelerate progress.

For both Ghana and Lesotho, the partnership signals a shift toward collective strategy rather than isolated national efforts. With coordinated investment in AI, infrastructure, and policy, African leaders are seeking not just to close the digital divide, but to build bargaining power in shaping the rules of the global technology economy.

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