Joy Agwunobi
AfricAI, a pan-African artificial intelligence and emerging-technology platform, has signed a multi-year exclusive distribution and deployment agreement with Micropolis Robotics, a global designer and manufacturer of advanced autonomous robotic systems, in a move that could significantly reshape Africa’s robotics and intelligent infrastructure landscape.
The agreement grants AfricAI sole and exclusive rights to commercialise, deploy, and scale Micropolis Robotics’ autonomous platforms across the African continent. Under the terms of the deal, Micropolis is prohibited from engaging in direct sales, appointing alternative distributors, or working with third-party agents within Africa, effectively positioning AfricAI as the company’s single continental gateway.
With this mandate, AfricAI becomes the primary execution, localisation, and go-to-market partner for Micropolis’ robotics solutions across key sectors including industrial operations, security, logistics, ports, and smart infrastructure. The partnership marks a notable shift from software-driven artificial intelligence to what industry experts increasingly describe as “physical AI” — intelligent machines capable of operating autonomously in complex, real-world environments.
Fareed Aljawhari, chief executive officer of Micropolis Robotics, described the agreement as more than a conventional partnership. According to him, the decision reflects a deliberate strategy to anchor Micropolis’ African expansion within a sovereign and locally attuned framework.
“This is not a collaboration; it is a market-shaping mandate,” Aljawhari said. “AfricAI now represents the exclusive gateway through which Micropolis technologies enter Africa. Their sovereign AI vision, operational reach, and regulatory fluency make them uniquely positioned to execute at continental scale.”
The deal allows AfricAI to integrate Micropolis’ autonomous systems into its broader sovereign AI stack, enabling a wide range of applications. These include AI-driven security and surveillance, robotics-enabled logistics and port operations, industrial automation, municipal robotics, and smart infrastructure solutions designed specifically for African operating conditions.
Beyond deployment, the agreement embeds long-term performance-linked expansion rights, automatic renewals, and a structured localisation framework. This framework is designed to ensure that robotics deployment is accompanied by workforce training, skills transfer, and local capacity development, anchoring value creation firmly within African economies.
Malik Ado-Ibrahim, executive chairman of AfricAI, said the partnership reflects a strategic shift in how advanced technologies should be adopted on the continent.
“Africa does not need imported automation,” he said, while also noting: “It needs sovereign, context-aware intelligent systems. This exclusive mandate allows AfricAI to industrialise robotics deployment at scale while retaining control, regulatory compliance, and long-term value creation on the continent.”
Initial deployments under the agreement are expected to begin in the security, smart infrastructure, and logistics sectors, with phased expansion planned across multiple African countries. These rollouts will form part of AfricAI’s wider continental strategy spanning artificial intelligence, data infrastructure, and intelligent physical systems.
Industry analysts note that the agreement positions AfricAI as one of the first exclusive robotics gatekeepers in Africa, potentially enabling the continent to bypass traditional industrialisation models through the adoption of autonomous, AI-driven infrastructure.
Both companies also reaffirmed their commitment to responsible innovation, environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards, and the development of sustainable robotics ecosystems aimed at improving productivity, security, and economic resilience across Africa.
