The Lusaka Declaration: Can Policy Catch Up with Africa’s Digital Momentum?
At a time when the global digital economy is advancing at unprecedented speed, Africa continues to lag behind global digitalisation trends. Despite growing mobile adoption and entrepreneurial innovation, the continent remains largely underprepared to harness the full potential of digital transformation. Without targeted policies, capacity-building, and infrastructure investment, Africa risks further marginalisation in an increasingly technology-driven world. Recognising this, lawmakers, researchers, and industry leaders convened in Lusaka, Zambia, for the first Africa Digital Parliamentary Summit held from 9 to 11 July 2025.
The Summit, hosted by the Pan African Parliament (PAP ) in collaboration with the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC ) and the GSMA , was created to serve as a strategic platform for strengthening legislative understanding of key digital issues. The focus was clear: Africa’s policymakers must begin to address emerging technological realities with informed, evidence-based governance. Discussions centred on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Protection and Privacy, as well as sector-specific innovations in Digital Health and Smart Manufacturing.
The outcome of the Summit is the Lusaka Declaration —a detailed statement of intent and policy direction meant to guide Africa’s legislative and institutional response to digital transformation. The Declaration sets the groundwork for a continent-wide digital agenda, while outlining the responsibilities of parliamentarians, the private sector, and civil society.
A New Legislative Era for AI and Data Governance in Africa
The Lusaka Declaration puts AI and data governance at the core of Africa’s digital agenda. Lawmakers “recognised the need for robust Africa-led governance frameworks” to ensure responsible AI use, especially in areas tied to “democracy, elections and governance”.
It calls for the development of Model Laws on AI, Data Protection, and Privacy, in collaboration with institutions like APRM, AUDA-NEPAD, GSMA, and APHRC, and aligned with AU Agenda 2063.
Honourable Behdja Lammali of the Pan-African Parliament Committee on Transport, Industry, Communications, Energy, Science and Technology, highlighted the importance of AI in a brief interview we had with her at the summit saying;
“In my perspective, AI offers an important avenue for addressing challenges in healthcare, industry, and transportation. It could improve efficiency, accessibility, and quality—especially for Africans living in rural and remote areas. If we are united and follow a strong strategy, AI will accelerate Africa’s development.”
-Honourable Behdja Lammali, Chairperson of the Pan-African Parliament Committee on Transport, Industry, Communications, Energy, Science and Technology.
Parliamentarians also pledged to “advocate for the ratification and domestication of the Malabo Convention”, the African Union’s Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection, which remains underutilised despite its potential to unify cybersecurity and data policies.
Yet, while the declaration marks a significant legislative milestone, the pathway to implementation remains uncertain. Africa’s regulatory landscape is fragmented, with many national policies either outdated, underdeveloped, or misaligned with continental ambitions. Questions remain about institutional readiness: how many parliaments are equipped, technically and politically, to lead on AI governance?
Digital Health as a Strategic Growth Sector
The Lusaka Declaration identifies digital health as a core pillar of Africa’s socio-economic development, with Members of Parliament noting its “significant economic potential in Africa, estimated at $4.6 billion in 2024, with projections reaching approximately $6.5 billion by 2030”. This growth, according to the Declaration, is expected to make a measurable contribution to the health sector’s GDP and underscores the strategic case for sustained investment in digital infrastructure and services.
To that end, the Declaration calls for the “establishment of a normative standards framework” to ensure that Digital Health Initiatives (DHIs) meet international benchmarks. This includes the adoption of national Health Information Exchange (HIE) protocols, which are necessary to promote structured data sharing, interoperability, and policy harmonisation.
Yet while the economic projections are encouraging, the infrastructure to deliver on this promise remains uneven. Many African countries lack national digital health strategies, and even where frameworks exist, implementation is often slow or fragmented. Without clear standards enforcement and equitable access to technology, the digital divide could widen within health systems themselves.
The task now is to ensure that digital health innovation does not outpace the governance mechanisms meant to sustain it—and that access to these advancements is not confined to urban centres or donor-driven pilot schemes.
Smart Manufacturing and Industrial Digitalisation
The Lusaka Declaration positions smart manufacturing as essential to Africa’s industrial revival. Parliamentarians called for the integration of Industry 4.0 into national policies, ensuring that digital transformation goals are embedded in industrial strategies and master plans.
To support this shift, the Declaration urges governments to “incentivise digital adoption among SMEs and mid-sized manufacturers” through tax relief, grants, and access to industrial financing. It also highlights the need to invest in STEM education to build a future-ready workforce.
Connectivity is another key focus. Lawmakers expressed the need for “investment in advanced connectivity infrastructure, e.g. 5G”, especially around Special Economic Zones, where digital tools can improve productivity.
Parliamentarians also emphasised data governance and cybersecurity, calling for frameworks aligned with the AU’s Malabo Convention. These include laws on data ownership, industrial data protection, and national cyber resilience.
Finally, the Declaration links smart manufacturing to AfCFTA goals, urging regulatory reform that supports regional value chains and cross-border industrial cooperation. The vision is bold, but its success will depend on execution.
Institutional Commitments and Follow-Through
To sustain momentum, the Lusaka Declaration calls for structured follow-up through “an annual Africa Digital Parliamentary Summit”. This platform would track progress, review recommendations, and support policy harmonisation.
Parliamentarians also stressed the need for “continuous technical training” and knowledge exchange for MPs and staff, especially on AI ethics, digital health, and smart manufacturing. Beyond training, it urges support for local innovation, including startups and research institutions developing context-specific solutions. It also highlights the need to mobilize resources, technical expertise, and multi-sectoral partnerships” to strengthen infrastructure and policy implementation.
The commitments are clear. The real test will be in building the institutional consistency to see them through. TechAfrica News being present at the Summit, we observed a clear appetite for policy leadership but also a recognition of the gap between ambition and capability.
And as Kenechi Okeleke of GSMA emphasised in a discussion we had at the summit:
“The expectation is that these public officials will return to their respective countries and begin implementing many of the policies discussed here—doing so from an informed perspective. They have seen the evidence; we have presented it to them. Now they have the tools to engage with fellow parliamentarians, ministers, and other public sector officials to drive meaningful change within their countries.”
– Kenechi Okeleke, Senior Director, Regional, Social and Policy Research, GSMA.
The call for Africa-led frameworks is timely and necessary, but without consistent political will, institutional follow-through, and grassroots engagement, declarations like this risk becoming well-crafted intentions rather than transformative tools.
