At close of 2024 colloquium at Int’l War College: Experts recommend urgent Artificial Intelligence strategy for Africa.

The three-day international colloquium on the campus of ESIG at the Simbock neighbourhood in Yaounde, was on the theme: “Artificial Intelligence: Opportunity or threat for Africa?”.

The Secretary General at the Ministry of Defence, MINDEF, Saïd Kamsouloum, officially closed the colloquium on behalf of the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence, Joseph Beti Assomo. 

The highpoint of the closing ceremony was a review of the recommendations made by experts during the three panel discussions and other presentations that marked the training. 

The session was moderated by the Technical Adviser at the Ministry of Defence, Prof Alain-Didier Olinga. 

The moderators of the three panels, Prof Marcel Fouda Ndjodo, Prof Mathias-Eric Owona Nguini and Navy Captain Sylvain Ndutumu, presented key points made during the presentations at the panels. 

The experts were unanimous that Africa, for the first time, is not indifferent to the trends of Artificial Intelligence.

Considering Artificial Intelligence as one of the criteria for international power, the experts underscored the need for African governments and policies to embrace the technology. The stressed that AI is gradually replacing human efforts, triggering better productivity within deadlines.

The moderators also harped on the responsibility of producers of the technology and users to mitigate damages.

Prof Owona Nguini told reporters: “Artificial Intelligence is a very important phenomenon and Africa needs to have a steering policy regarding this evolution. We cannot be absent from this new industrial revolution”.

Enter MIDEF scribe 

In his closing remarks, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Defence, Saïd Kamsouloum, said the colloquium was an opportunity for trainees to explore the irreversible dynamic of AI in order to optimize the opportunities it can offer to prevent and reduce its negative effects. 

Artificial Intelligence, Kamsouloum added, is not just an economic or technological revolution but also holds the potential to change the society. 

“Artificial Intelligence is undoubtedly one of the most revolutionary technological advances of our time…we need to rapidly integrate it into our daily lives. That's why it has become a political and strategic issue,” the MINDEF scribe said. 

Knowledge gathered through the colloquium, he also added, would lead to the implementation of an integrated and inclusive strategy for the mastery of AI for the benefit of African populations.

The trainees, he said, have emerged from the training as pioneers who will be responsible for implementing and accompanying the technological innovation.

Recommendations made at the colloquium, he assured, will be handed to Minister Beti Assomo for onward will transmission to the President of the Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Paul Biya. 

Trainees say acquired skills beneficial 

The International War College trainees who were main beneficiaries of the colloquium, said knowledge gathered will help them in incorporating AI in military operations in their respective countries. 

According to Commander Adebayo Babatunde Mohammed of the Nigerian Navy, Artificial Intelligence has come to stay and needs to be infused into the planning of general affairs in the military. 

“…AI is a very useable tool for military planning as has been demonstrated during the course of the colloquium. We are going to plan towards enhancing the use. It is already in use in some parts of the world although Africa is still a bit behind,” Commander Babatunde said but, added that: “We are going to get there and we are going to use it effectively to solve crisis situations in our continent”.

On his part, Cameroonian Navy Commander, Epee Guy Robert, said AI is a great opportunity for Africa as it can greatly contribute to revolutionizing the defence sector.  

“Today, with the introduction of new technologies, we are able to digitize the battlefields, predict certain things that are going to happen, reduce uncertainty in the planning of our operations, and also try to understand what our opponents can do,” Epee said.

Another trainee, Lieutenant Colonel Oua Detoh from Côte d'Ivoire, said Artificial Intelligence has become an unavoidable domain. 

Integration of AI knowledge in the field, he said, eases military intelligence. The use of AI, he added, can help “to strike the right targets” and “enable us to avoid certain collateral damages and undermine the action we take as soldiers”.

Created by Presidential Decree on January 13, 2005, the International War College has for its 19 years of existence, trained 784 senior military officers from some 30 African countries, Europe, Asia and America.  

This story first published in The Guardian Post issue No3130 of Monday June 02, 2024