Session
Description:
This workshop convenes the pan-African DPI Workshop Series for the third time this year, bringing the Series members’ findings on digital public infrastructure to the global stage, engaging on the critical question of AI in DPI for LMICs in Africa, and producing recommendations for the broader DPI conversation. The working group, formed by Research ICT Africa, Paradigm Initiative, CIPESA, DIAL, Richard Gevers, and Robert Karanja are running a series of online and in-person workshops to strengthen collaborative research, policy development, and implementation support on DPI across Africa. In the wake of the troubling cancellation of RightsCon, this series set out to convene African researchers and practitioners working on digital human rights and development. IGF is the series' final venue for 2026: a global stage on which to connect the working group's findings to the wider DPI conversation, and to reach stakeholders from government, private sector, philanthropy, development funding, and academia. This workshop builds on two prior gatherings: an inaugural session that surfaced active DPI projects and shared priorities across the continent, and a second meeting at AfIGF that will have deepened this agenda into a policy brief on sovereignty, open-source, vendor lockin, and private sector and donor engagement. To complement our core group of public, CSO, and donor experts we are including in this workshop Juliet Wangui Maina, the Director of Government Affairs and Policy at Mastercard. This workshop will: - Engage a global audience on the working group's policy brief - Expand the policy brief with a discussion of AI in DPI in LMICs, with a particular focus on: --- Necessary state capacity at the design and implementation level --- Challenges of vendor lockin for biometric and automation systems --- Roles and strategies for the private sector to engage sustainably and equitably as donor models shift
This workshop convenes the pan-African DPI Workshop Series for the third time this year, bringing the Series members’ findings on digital public infrastructure to the global stage, engaging on the critical question of AI in DPI for LMICs in Africa, and producing recommendations for the broader DPI conversation. The working group, formed by Research ICT Africa, Paradigm Initiative, CIPESA, DIAL, Richard Gevers, and Robert Karanja are running a series of online and in-person workshops to strengthen collaborative research, policy development, and implementation support on DPI across Africa. In the wake of the troubling cancellation of RightsCon, this series set out to convene African researchers and practitioners working on digital human rights and development. IGF is the series' final venue for 2026: a global stage on which to connect the working group's findings to the wider DPI conversation, and to reach stakeholders from government, private sector, philanthropy, development funding, and academia. This workshop builds on two prior gatherings: an inaugural session that surfaced active DPI projects and shared priorities across the continent, and a second meeting at AfIGF that will have deepened this agenda into a policy brief on sovereignty, open-source, vendor lockin, and private sector and donor engagement. To complement our core group of public, CSO, and donor experts we are including in this workshop Juliet Wangui Maina, the Director of Government Affairs and Policy at Mastercard. This workshop will: - Engage a global audience on the working group's policy brief - Expand the policy brief with a discussion of AI in DPI in LMICs, with a particular focus on: --- Necessary state capacity at the design and implementation level --- Challenges of vendor lockin for biometric and automation systems --- Roles and strategies for the private sector to engage sustainably and equitably as donor models shift
Policy Question(s)
In the context of leveraging open source DPI systems for sovereignty in Africa, what are the challenges of integrating AI?
As funders focus more and more on AI, how can their efforts best support sustainable, sovereign, and equitable DPI systems?
How can the private sector in Africa engage with funders and governments in building out DPI and AI-integrated DPI to increase sovereignty and equality?
Expected Outcomes
This workshop will expand upon the workshop series’ first policy brief by bringing the question of AI integration in African LMICs to the fore and producing a series of recommendations for funders and the private sector engaging on these challenges across Africa. This output will serve as our white paper going into the Global DPI summit in March 2027.
In addition to the global summit, the white paper will also serve as our blueprint for engaging with the private sector and funders in our ongoing workshop series throughout 2027. The white paper will deliver a unique level of collaborative, pan-African, and multi-perspectival insight into the challenges of DPI in Africa, and provide much needed structure and depth for DPI implementers and funders.
Format
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: As this is a multistakeholder workshop, where governments, civil society, technical community, and private sector voices have equal footing, a roundtable format removes the barriers that typically separate speakers from audience, encourages spontaneous exchange, follow-up questions, and genuine debate rather than sequential presentations. To this end we will have a short formal presentation, allowing more time and structure for the session to surface nuance, disagreement, and emerging ideas that a traditional panel would leave unspoken. As such 90 minutes is suitable, allowing maximum time for our workshop participants and the rest of the participants to engage substantively on our findings.
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: As this is a multistakeholder workshop, where governments, civil society, technical community, and private sector voices have equal footing, a roundtable format removes the barriers that typically separate speakers from audience, encourages spontaneous exchange, follow-up questions, and genuine debate rather than sequential presentations. To this end we will have a short formal presentation, allowing more time and structure for the session to surface nuance, disagreement, and emerging ideas that a traditional panel would leave unspoken. As such 90 minutes is suitable, allowing maximum time for our workshop participants and the rest of the participants to engage substantively on our findings.
Hybrid Format: While we currently expect all speakers to be present in person, we do want to encourage as broad a participation as possible, particularly for those in the Global South who may not have been able to travel to Nairobi. To this end our presentation and discussion can be streamed, and the discussion moderator will also keep close watch over online participants' questions and chat remarks and will work to integrate them seamlessly into the discussion.
Organizer 1: Thomas Linder, Research ICT Africa
Speaker 1: Thomas Linder, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 2: Patricia Ainembabazi , Intergovernmental Organization, African Group
Speaker 3: Melody Musoni, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 4: Bridgette Ndlovu, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 2: Patricia Ainembabazi , Intergovernmental Organization, African Group
Speaker 3: Melody Musoni, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 4: Bridgette Ndlovu, Civil Society, African Group
Moderator
Thomas Linder, Civil Society, African Group
Online Moderator
Thomas Linder, Civil Society, African Group
Rapporteur
Thomas Linder, Civil Society, African Group
What will participants gain from attending this session?
