In a pivotal moment for global digital discourse, the upcoming RightsCon26 summit in Lusaka, Zambia, promises to redirect the center of gravity in AI ethics. For too long, the narrative surrounding artificial intelligence development in Africa has been characterized by passive reception, with external frameworks often imposed without consideration for local socio-political contexts or linguistic diversity.

Code for Africa, an influential indigenous nonprofit, is stepping into the spotlight to challenge this status quo. By emphasizing that African technologists and policymakers are not just users of imported systems, but active architects of their own digital futures, the organization is demanding a seat at the table where global rules are written. They argue that effective AI governance must be grounded in the lived realities of people experiencing digital surveillance and inequality, rather than the abstract profit motives of Western tech giants.

The core tension here lies in the "leapfrog" technology strategy that many developing nations adopt. While jumping over legacy infrastructure is a proven route to rapid development, blindly adopting external AI models can inadvertently bypass necessary local safeguards. Code for Africa warns that without explicit efforts to "put the Africa into AI," these tools risk reinforcing existing power dynamics rather than alleviating them. This involves co-creating systems that prioritize public interest, transparency, and human dignity.

Meaningful progress, however, requires a radical shift in how global organizations engage with regional partners. The era of "hit-and-run" interventions—short-term projects lacking sustainability—must end in favor of long-term, equitable collaborations. This requires that regional organizations have the same level of input and stewardship as their global counterparts. As activists, journalists, and technologists gather in Lusaka, the goal is to shift the debate from simply being "deployed on" to being "developed with."

In a pivotal moment for global digital discourse, the upcoming RightsCon26 summit in Lusaka, Zambia, promises to redirect the center of gravity in AI ethics. For too long, the narrative surrounding artificial intelligence development in Africa has been characterized by passive reception, with external frameworks often imposed without consideration for local socio-political contexts or linguistic diversity.

Code for Africa, an influential indigenous nonprofit, is stepping into the spotlight to challenge this status quo. By emphasizing that African technologists and policymakers are not just users of imported systems, but active architects of their own digital futures, the organization is demanding a seat at the table where global rules are written. They argue that effective AI governance must be grounded in the lived realities of people experiencing digital surveillance and inequality, rather than the abstract profit motives of Western tech giants.

The core tension here lies in the "leapfrog" technology strategy that many developing nations adopt. While jumping over legacy infrastructure is a proven route to rapid development, blindly adopting external AI models can inadvertently bypass necessary local safeguards. Code for Africa warns that without explicit efforts to "put the Africa into AI," these tools risk reinforcing existing power dynamics rather than alleviating them. This involves co-creating systems that prioritize public interest, transparency, and human dignity.

Meaningful progress, however, requires a radical shift in how global organizations engage with regional partners. The era of "hit-and-run" interventions—short-term projects lacking sustainability—must end in favor of long-term, equitable collaborations. This requires that regional organizations have the same level of input and stewardship as their global counterparts. As activists, journalists, and technologists gather in Lusaka, the goal is to shift the debate from simply being "deployed on" to being "developed with."