ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE USE IN WEST AFRICA: A SOBER AUDIT OF THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE – A NARRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract: This review looks at the changing landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in West Africa, highlighting both progress and ongoing challenges. While AI is changing systems around the world, its use in the region is still uneven due to structural, regulatory, and infrastructure issues. The review evaluates important aspects of AI development, including policy frameworks, research capacity, infrastructure readiness, sector applications, ethical concerns, and ongoing difficulties. At the continental level, the African Union’s 2024 Continental AI Strategy offers a coordinated governance framework that focuses on ethical AI, data control, and capacity building. National efforts in countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire show increasing political commitment, though inconsistency in regulations remains a challenge. Research innovation is present, as seen with tools like Kwame for Science, but overall progress is limited by low funding, weak global engagement, and inadequate access to high-performance computing. Infrastructure shortfalls, especially in data centers, connectivity, and energy, continue to hinder large-scale AI implementation. Sector adoption in health, education, agriculture, and public services appears promising, often bolstered by international partnerships. However, ethical and social risks, such as algorithmic bias, language underrepresentation, weak data protection, and historical inequalities, threaten fair integration. Additional obstacles like talent drain, low digital literacy, limited data availability, and public distrust further limit impact. The review concludes that ongoing investment, stronger governance, ethical guidelines, and local research growth are crucial for AI to justly and sustainably support West Africa’s development goals.. Keywords: Artificial intelligence, West Africa, AI adoption, AI integration, Digital literacy, Governance, Capacity, and Development Pathways. Title: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE USE IN WEST AFRICA: A SOBER AUDIT OF THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE – A NARRATIVE REVIEW Author: Ejime Ebeigbe, Augustine Owin Onovwiona, Jeremiah Igunma, Omavwerhe Igho-Iggue International Journal of Novel Research in Life Sciences ISSN 2394-966X Vol. 13, Issue 1, January 2026 – February 2026 Page No: 3-7 Novelty Journals Website: www.noveltyjournals.com Published Date: 16-January-2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18267345 Paper Download Link (Source) https://www.noveltyjournals.com/upload/paper/ARTIFICIAL%20INTELLIGENCE%20USE%20IN%20WEST%20AFRICA-16012026-1.pdf