AU appoints Pantami as co-chair of 4th Industrial Revolution Policy Council

The African Union, through the African Scientific Research and Innovation Council (AU-ASRIC), has appointed Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami as the co-chairman for the formulation and development of the 4th Industrial Revolution Policy and Strategy for the 54 countries in Africa. 

Pantami, a researcher and promoter of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, is the first African Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Information Security in the United Kingdom. 

He previously served as the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) where he initiated the establishment of the National Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), which he commissioned during his tenure as the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy. 

He was also instrumental in the development of Nigeria’s first Digital Economy Policy, which includes a pillar focused on Digital Society and Emerging Technologies. 

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The other co-chair of the council is Professor Anicia Nicola Peter from the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology in Namibia, who also serves as an adjunct Research Professor at the University of Namibia. 

She was the chairperson of the 4IR Presidential Task Force in Namibia and her research interests include human-computer interaction, social media, gamification, e-participation, gender, e-government, e-health, and human-centred AI. 

The council also includes other academics and policymakers, such as Professor Khaleed Ghedira from Tunisia, Professor Maha Grima from Morocco, Professor Mongi Nouira, and Professor Munir Frija.