The announcement came during the 8th Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC) Ministerial Conference in Seoul, attended by about 800 participants representing 45 African countries.
The September 8-11 conference, held under the theme “Harnessing AI and digital infrastructure for Africa’s transformation”, also marks KOAFEC’s 20th anniversary.
Korea Prime Minister Han Seong-sook described Africa as “the world’s youngest and most dynamic continent”, with growing markets, strategic resources and a creative young population.
Korea Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy Koo Yun-cheol outlined a strategy focusing on AI infrastructure, applications in productive sectors and stronger digital skills.
The Korean AI Package will combine data centres, energy infrastructure, digital connectivity and AI applications across agriculture, healthcare, energy and transport. “The Korean government has decided to support countries that wish to develop AI in line with their own priorities,” Koo said.
Initial projects include an advanced technology training institute in Tanzania, which will train specialists in AI, robotics and data analysis.
A K-AI Cloud Voucher programme will also provide African start-ups with access to cloud infrastructure and technology.
AfDB Group President Dr Sidi Ould Tah said AI could add as much as $1 trillion to Africa’s gross domestic product by 2035 if the continent secured adequate investment. “AI does not develop on the basis of aspirations alone. It depends on a comprehensive ecosystem,” Ould Tah said.
That ecosystem requires dependable electricity, affordable connectivity, data infrastructure, skills and appropriate regulatory frameworks. Africa currently accounts for less than 2% of global data-centre capacity. “Africa must not simply consume imported technologies. It must have the capacity to build, govern, adapt and deploy its own solutions,” Ould Tah said.
Ould Tah called for investment in foundational infrastructure, practical high-impact applications and responsible regulation.
Equatorial Guinea Deputy Minister for Finance, Budget and National Planning Milagrosa Obono Angüe highlighted Africa’s continuing dependence on external data infrastructure. “Eighty percent of data in Africa is hosted abroad, and Africa pays dearly for this,” Obono Angüe said.
–AfDB/ChannelAfrica–
