What's Happening?
Bayobab, the digital infrastructure arm of MTN Group, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Seekr Technologies, a U.S.-based AI company, to offer AI-as-a-service (AIaaS) across Africa. This
partnership aims to provide AI-driven insights for both private and public organizations, enhancing digital governance, citizen engagement, and public safety. Bayobab plans to leverage the SeekrFlow AIaaS platform to deploy and scale AI models efficiently, augmenting existing and future digital services. Bayobab CEO Mazen Mroué emphasized the potential of AI to accelerate Africa's digital transformation, highlighting the collaboration as a significant step towards embedding intelligent technologies across digital infrastructure.
Why It's Important?
The partnership between Bayobab and Seekr Technologies is crucial for Africa's digital transformation, as AI has the potential to significantly boost the continent's economy. According to a study by SAP, AI could add $1.5 trillion to Africa's economy by 2030. This collaboration aims to address the risk of inequality and the creation of a digital underclass by promoting inclusive growth. The initiative underscores the importance of partnerships between governments, private sectors, and civil society in policy-making, data governance, and skills development to ensure Africa is not left behind in the global AI race.
What's Next?
Bayobab's parent company, MTN Group, is in discussions with U.S. and European companies to develop the necessary infrastructure for AI services. This includes co-funding investments to build AI data centers, addressing the current gap where Africa accounts for only 1% of global AI data center capacity. The collaboration with Seekr Technologies is expected to pave the way for scalable impact across both public and private sectors, with potential plans to build AI factories across Africa to further enhance AI capabilities.
Beyond the Headlines
The partnership highlights the ethical and societal implications of AI deployment in Africa. It raises questions about data privacy, governance, and the need for skill development to ensure equitable access to AI technologies. The initiative could lead to long-term shifts in how digital services are provided, potentially transforming various sectors such as financial services, logistics, and energy.
