Research ICT Africa (RIA) participates in the 2026 Africa Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF), taking place from 2-5 November in Accra, Ghana, contributing to discussions on AI governance and safety, digital public infrastructure (DPI), data policy implementation, internet freedom and digital rights.
AfIGF brings together governments, civil society, the private sector, the technical community and researchers to exchange perspectives on internet governance and strengthen African participation in regional and global digital policy processes.
Across seven sessions on 3 and 4 November, RIA shares research, policy perspectives and practical approaches to some of the continent’s most pressing digital governance questions: how African priorities can shape global AI governance, how rights and inclusion can be embedded in digital infrastructure, and how policy commitments can be translated into effective implementation.
Tuesday, 3 November
Freedom Online Coalition at 15 Years: Africa Regional Dialogue
Marking the Freedom Online Coalition’s 15th anniversary, this regional dialogue examines developments in internet freedom and digital rights across Africa, assesses the effectiveness of multistakeholder governance, and identifies priorities for the Coalition’s future work. African stakeholders will contribute recommendations to inform the FOC’s anniversary outcomes, including a forward-looking Joint Statement.
Time: 08:30–09:30
Venue: Omanye 3
ECA Innovation Café: Advancing Sustainable Development Through African AI Solutions
Convened by RIA along with the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the Innovation Café showcases five AI innovations from across the continent that demonstrate measurable socio-economic impact. Through demonstrations, pitches and dialogue, the session will explore how African AI solutions can contribute to sustainable development, responsible innovation and the implementation of continental and global digital policy commitments.
Time: 09:40–12:30
Venue: Labadi Suite 2
Defining Regional African Priorities for Global AI Governance
This interactive session brings together policymakers, researchers and civil society to identify African priorities for global AI governance, drawing on recommendations from the 2026 African School on Internet Governance practicum. The discussion will examine safe and trusted AI, global governance and context-driven approaches, with outcomes informing regional priorities to be advanced through RIA’s work and the MAP-AI Initiative.
Time: 09:40–10:40
Venue: Omanye 2
Governing the Code: Comparative AI Lessons from East & Southern Africa
Drawing on policy developments in Uganda, Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe, this panel compares emerging national AI governance approaches and their implications for data sovereignty, algorithmic accountability, digital rights and inclusion. It considers how regional and global commitments can be translated into practical, context-responsive national policies.
Time: 09:40–10:40
Venue: Omanye 3
CSO Preparedness for Inclusive and Rights-Respecting DPI in Africa
This session examines how civil society can engage earlier and more effectively in the design, implementation and oversight of digital public infrastructure. Discussions identify practical opportunities for CSOs to influence policy, legislation, procurement and accountability mechanisms to ensure DPI advances inclusion, public trust and fundamental rights.
Time: 12:00–13:00
Venue: Omanye 2
The Missing Middle of Data Governance: Institutions, Financing and Implementation in Africa
Grounded in RIA’s development of a Data Policy Implementation Toolkit, supported by GIZ, this interactive implementation clinic explores the institutional, financial and operational barriers that prevent national data policies from being put into practice. Participants will test toolkit resources designed to strengthen institutional coordination, accountability and effective data governance.
Time: 12:00–13:00
Venue: Omanye 3
Wednesday, 4 November
Second Pan-African Digital Public Infrastructure Workshop Series
This workshop brings together members of a pan-African DPI working group, convened by RIA and partners, to deepen collaborative research and policy development on rights-respecting DPI in African contexts. Building on an earlier workshop, participants will refine shared priorities around digital sovereignty, institutional dependencies, open-source approaches and effective multistakeholder engagement, contributing to a forthcoming policy brief.
Time: 12:00–13:00
Venue: Omanye 2
Beyond Imported Checklists: Toward an African AI Safety Agenda
Drawing on RIA’s Just AI Framework of Inquiry and the proceedings of its Just AI conference, this session unpacks how prevailing global AI safety approaches overlook risks and harms experienced in African contexts. Bringing together government, civil society and private-sector perspectives, the discussion will identify priorities for an African-defined AI safety agenda grounded in the continent’s social, economic and governance realities.
Time: 15:00–16:00
Venue: Omanye 4
