In September 2025, Zara Schroeder and Scott Timcke participated in the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica), held in Windhoek, Namibia. The conference, hosted by CIPESA, brought together stakeholders across the continent to reflect on digital rights, internet governance, and information integrity. RIA’s contributions focused on how AI is reshaping the digital landscape, particularly in West Africa, and the urgent need for inclusive governance models that protect human rights and promote democratic values.
Towards effective use and governance of AI in modern Africa
Zara Schroeder presented on a panel exploring information integrity in the context of elections and AI. Drawing from RIA’s UNESCO-funded research on Preserving Information Integrity in West Africa, she highlighted how digital transformation across West Africa– marked by increasing connectivity and mobile penetration–has enabled both opportunity and risk. Disinformation, deepfakes, and coordinated online attacks are growing threats, especially during elections. Women are disproportionately targeted, with AI-generated gendered disinformation used to facilitate gender-based violence and push them out of civic spaces.
On this point, Schroeder emphasised the need for inclusive and gender-sensitive governance frameworks to redress current gaps in platform accountability, legal protections, and digital literacy. To protect information ecosystems and democratic processes, Schroeder referred to recommendations from the proposed policy brief, Policy Approaches to Information Integrity in West Africa, which calls for coordinated action that is grounded in international human rights standards, tailored to local contexts and inclusive of diverse voices.
The WSIS+20 Review process
Scott Timcke joined the Global Network Initiative’s panel on multistakeholder governance in the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS)+20 process. Reflecting on RIA’s broader information integrity programme, he stressed that equal participation in the decisions of the information society and its associated global commitments requires shifting power, not just inviting presence. He said: “Although WSIS was designed as a multi-stakeholder process, participation gaps persist across national, regional, and global levels.” Looking at the structural barriers that limit participation, he called for a reorientation of donor-driven financing as well as a renewed agenda to prevent ‘fora fragmentation and multiplication’.
Timcke also presented on RIA’s contribution to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights Resolution 620, which looked at freedom of expression and access to information, another step toward embedding rights in digital policy.
Key takeaways from the Forum
Above and beyond RIA’s sessions, a few critical points emerged from the discussions at FIFAfrica 2025:
- AI regulation is urgently needed to prevent its misuse and reduce harms, especially during high-stakes periods like elections.
- Policy frameworks must be tailored to African realities, not copied from Global North models.
- Language and script inclusion are essential; policy and digital literacy efforts must reflect Africa’s linguistic diversity.
- Consideration of children and youth is essential to addressing the unique vulnerabilities they face in the digital age, particularly the risks posed by AI-driven disinformation and harmful content. By actively involving children in shaping policies and literacy efforts, we can build stronger, more resilient information ecosystems that protect and empower young people across Africa.
State of internet freedom and digital rights in Africa
Africa continues to experience both progress and pressure in the digital rights space. While connectivity is expanding and more people are engaging online, freedom of expression remains under threat, and surveillance and censorship are on the rise. Closing the gap between policy intent and enforcement remains a core challenge.
The role of AI governance and data access for Africans
There’s a growing body of research on AI governance, data access, and platform accountability, but much of it lacks contextual validity for African realities. We must continue to emphasise the need to decolonise digital policy, ensuring it reflects local experiences, needs, and knowledge systems. For Africans, this means owning the narrative, shaping ethical AI use, and securing fair access to data as a public good, not just a commodity. RIA’s engagement at FIFAfrica affirms that, to build an equitable and inclusive digital future where Africans equitably participate in shaping internet freedom, all voices must have the power to shape governance.
