Afrik to engage policymakers at global AI summit in Rwanda
Joy Agwunobi
Afrik, a new decentralised finance platform focused on Africa’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital future, is set to participate in the upcoming Global AI Summit in Rwanda, where it will engage policymakers and key stakeholders.
The platform, designed to accelerate Africa’s Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), aims to reshape the continent’s economic landscape through innovative financing solutions.
The exclusive summit, hosted by Paul Kagame,the president of Rwanda and the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR), will bring together leaders, policymakers, and innovators to discuss AI’s role in Africa’s development. With AI rapidly transforming industries worldwide, the event seeks to explore how the technology can drive sustainable economic growth, digital transformation, and innovation across the continent.
Afrik stands out as a first-of-its-kind decentralised financial and governance platform that leverages blockchain and AI to facilitate funding for green energy and AI-driven projects. Through a globally tradable digital asset, the platform provides access to capital for a wide range of projects, involving both institutional financial actors and individual investors.
By prioritising financial sovereignty and economic inclusivity, Afrik aims to position Africa as a leader in AI-driven development.
James Saruchera, co-founder of Afrik, underscored Africa’s potential to drive global sustainability and technological advancement, emphasising the need for financial sovereignty and innovation-led growth. Saruchera highlighted the continent’s vast resources, renewable energy potential, and youthful workforce as critical assets for shaping the Fourth Industrial Age.
“Africa holds 30 per cent of the world’s mineral resources, possesses immense renewable energy potential, and is home to a young, rapidly growing workforce,” Saruchera stated, “Moving beyond extractive economies, The Afrik Foundation is dedicated to unlocking capital that will accelerate green innovation and energy projects. By providing African nationals with financial leverage in global markets, Afrik fosters prosperity through greater transparency, governance, and security in investments.”
The Global AI Summit aims to harness artificial intelligence for sustainable economic growth, digital transformation, and technological innovation. Saruchera stressed the summit’s importance in positioning Africa at the forefront of the digital revolution. “The Global AI Summit highlights the urgent need for Africa to take ownership of its technological and economic future,” he noted. “AI, blockchain, and decentralised finance will define the continent’s next phase of growth. Afrik is a solution that integrates these technologies to empower communities and governments to finance development on their own terms.”
He further emphasised Africa’s need to control the economic frameworks underpinning its technological sectors. “Africa has the potential to lead in AI and digital infrastructure, but it must establish control over the financial systems that power these industries,” Saruchera stated, adding that “Afrik offers a borderless financial model that enables African innovation to be funded by African capital. This marks a pivotal shift toward an Africa-driven economic model built on financial sovereignty and equitable access to capital.”
Similarly, Jean-Marc Bourreau, economist and Afrik co-founder, reinforced the significance of the platform in bridging Africa’s economic gap with developed nations. “Afrik enables funding through a digital asset that is globally tradable, with innovative features such as smart contracts. This will help African economies direct more resources toward private sector involvement in 4IR, boosting productivity and closing the economic development gap with the most advanced economies. Afrik is about developing Africa at the speed of AI,” Bourreau said.
Afrik has already garnered endorsements from notable entrepreneurs and economists ahead of its launch. Arlinda Peixoto, Founder and CEO of fintech company Pagali, noted that the platform aligns with Africa’s need for economic self-reliance and independence.
“By integrating technology and finance, Afrik positions Africa to take advantage of AI-driven economic models, blockchain technology, and decentralised financial systems. Crucially, the emphasis on broad discussions, feedback, and inclusivity suggests an effort to create a grassroots movement rather than imposing a top-down solution,” Peixoto stated.