Act Now, Build Forward: AI for Public Service Delivery in Africa

​IDinsight and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office are co-hosting a closed dialogue on the sidelines of UNGA81.

​The policy conversation around AI has rightly focused on data sovereignty, algorithmic bias, and questions of power and accountability in AI partnerships. Those questions matter. But there is a parallel question that gets less airtime — what governments can do with AI now, using the data they already hold, to deliver better services to citizens who need them.

​This session brings together senior officials, funders, and practitioners to work through that question honestly. Where are practical, low-risk deployments already working? What data governance foundations should be non-negotiable before scaling? What should governments demand of AI providers to protect citizens and build domestic capacity?

​Speakers include:

• ​H.E. Dr. David Sengeh, Chief Minister and Chief Innovation Officer, Sierra Leone

• ​H.E. Ambassador Phillip Thigo, Special Envoy on Technology, Kenya

• ​Seyni Ndiaye Fall, Director of ICT Promotion and Coordinator of the Integrated National Education Management System, Ministry of National Education, Senegal

• ​Clio Dintilhac, Senior Program Officer, Gates Foundation

• ​Dr. Divya Nair, Chief Technical Officer, Last Mile Health

• ​Charlene Migwe, Deputy Regional Director, East and Southern Africa, IDinsight

​RSVP by 10 September

​This is an invitation-only event

​We're aiming for a balance of government, funder, multilateral, NGO, and ecosystem voices so that the follow-on conversations and partnerships can start in the room itself. If there's someone you think should be in the room or for any questions or concerns, please reach out to Kassandra Barnes at kassandra.barnes@idinsight.org.

• ​Doors open at 2:00 PM

• ​Program: 2:30–4:00 PM

• ​Networking: 4:00–4:30 PM