The African Technology and Innovation Institutes (ATII) will host the first African Industrial Forum (AIF) on Thursday, July 10, 2025. The event will be held online and was initiated by Nigeria’s Professor Rose-Margaret Ekeng-Itua, the first Black woman in the world to earn a PhD in Cybernetics. The forum will bring together government leaders, business experts, teachers, and representatives of young people. Their goal is to help Africa grow rapidly as a major manufacturing hub, utilising innovative and modern technology.
The forum’s theme, “Africa’s Future: Shaping Global Industries Through Smart Manufacturing, Automation, and Artificial Intelligence,” highlights the continent’s recent growth in manufacturing, including foreign direct investment, with Nigeria’s impressive 67% increase to $1.59 billion in 2023. The event will focus on five key goals: advancing smart manufacturing using AI and automation, promoting cross-sector collaboration, empowering youth for tech-driven industrial jobs, mobilising investment in local production ecosystems, and closing workforce skills gaps.
Professor Rose-Margaret emphasised the importance of collaboration, calling the summit “Africa’s call to action.” She emphasised that sustainable and inclusive growth necessitates connecting education with employment, policy with practice, and vision with implementation to empower young Africans as leaders of the continent’s industrial resurgence.
Distinguished speakers at the event include Mr. John Kamara, Founder of AI Centre of Excellence Africa (AICE); Dr. Akanimo Odon of Lancaster University; Dr. Kelechi Onyekachi Ofoegbu from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission; Dr. Edem Wornyo from Google; and Ms. Ene Sandra Macharm of GET.transform.
The summit will mark a significant step in shifting Africa from a consumer to a producer economy in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. One of the primary aims of the summit is to increase manufacturing’s current 10% share of Africa’s GDP while leveraging opportunities such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is expected to unlock $450 billion in intra-African trade by 2035.
The programme will feature a keynote on “Africa’s Industrial Renaissance,” multi-sector panel discussions, and awards celebrating pioneers in African industrialisation. The virtual event starts at 3:00 PM WAT and is free to attend via Zoom. Interested participants can register at https://aiforum.afritechi2.com/reg/.
