Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – September 4, 2026
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development opened a two-day Stakeholder Consultation Workshop on 4 September in Addis Ababa to develop a Regional Artificial Intelligence Framework and Strategy — the first such effort by a Horn of Africa regional body to treat AI as a matter of regional integration rather than purely national policy.
The workshop brings together policymakers, technical experts, academics, private-sector representatives and development partners from across the IGAD region. The framework is intended to position the Horn of Africa as an active participant in AI development rather than a passive consumer of technology built elsewhere.
Why the region is acting now
IGAD Executive Secretary H.E. Dr Workneh Gebeyehu said the question for the region is no longer whether AI will transform it, but how to harness the technology to accelerate development, uplift communities, and secure a collective future.
"The question is no longer whether artificial intelligence will transform our region, but how we harness it to accelerate development, uplift our communities and secure our collective future. By pooling our resources, sharing knowledge and harmonising our policies, we can make AI a powerful instrument for a more connected, resilient and prosperous IGAD region." — H.E. Dr Workneh Gebeyehu, IGAD Executive Secretary, 4 September 2026
He framed data sovereignty — "the right to control, manage and responsibly use their own data" — as a core principle, and called for robust regulatory frameworks at national, regional and continental levels.
What the consultation will deliver
The workshop is mapping AI readiness across IGAD member states, including policy systems, institutional capacity, digital infrastructure, data ecosystems, and human capital gaps. Three strategic priorities will frame the regional strategy: directing AI investment toward areas with the highest socioeconomic return; closing gaps in digital infrastructure, policy and human skills; and building regional synergies via policy harmonisation, cross-border initiatives and inter-institutional cooperation.
The strategy is being designed to align with the African Union Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy and the UN Global Digital Compact, situating the regional effort within broader multilateral governance structures.
Ethiopia's role and the AI University
Ethiopia's Director for IGAD Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Ketema Haile, said Ethiopia's ongoing digital transformation initiatives and its newly established Artificial Intelligence University are expected to benefit IGAD member states and the wider African continent. The institution is being positioned as a regional capacity-building hub for AI policy, research and training.
"Ethiopia's newly established Artificial Intelligence University is expected to contribute to AI development beyond Ethiopia's borders, serving other IGAD member states and the wider continent." — H.E. Ketema Haile, Director for IGAD Affairs, Ethiopia
Three priorities from the Executive Secretary
Dr Workneh identified three priority areas for the regional strategy. First, AI investment should be directed at sectors capable of delivering the greatest socioeconomic impact — including pastoral rangelands, Nile Basin agriculture, climate modelling, drought and flood early warning, and AI-driven diagnostics in healthcare. Second, gaps in digital infrastructure, policy and human skills must be closed. Third, regional synergies must be built through policy harmonisation, cross-border initiatives and inter-institutional cooperation.
He placed strong emphasis on data sovereignty and accountability, calling on member states to ensure that regional data is securely governed and used to advance their own development priorities. He cautioned that progress without principles could be hazardous, stressing that the strategy must address ethics, privacy and security while strengthening regional ownership and public confidence in AI systems.
What changes for member states
For infrastructure planners, the framework signals that data localisation, cross-border data flows and accountability mechanisms will become standard features of regional procurement. For developers and architects working on public-sector or donor-funded projects in the region, the emerging framework will shape technical specifications sooner than many expect.
The framework is also designed to be member-state led, not Secretariat-led — a signal that the consultation is intended to produce a binding regional instrument rather than a vision document.
What comes next
The Addis Ababa consultation is the first step in a process that will include national consultations, technical working groups, and a draft framework for consideration by IGAD heads of state. The framework is expected to be presented for adoption in 2027, with implementation support beginning immediately afterwards.
For the wider African Union AI strategy, IGAD's framework will be a regional building block — one of the early concrete instruments that the AU Continental AI Strategy envisioned when it was adopted in 2024.
Source: IGAD Press Release, "IGAD Launches Landmark Consultations on Regional AI Framework and Strategy", 4 September 2026. H.E. Dr Workneh Gebeyehu keynote, Addis Ababa, 4 September 2026. H.E. Ketema Haile statement, Addis Ababa, 4 September 2026. African Union Continental AI Strategy, 2024. UN Global Digital Compact, 2024.
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