AU-SAFGRAD Training on Climate-Smart Irrigation & Greenhouse Design for Agrifood Systems Transformation

The African Union’s Semi-Arid Food Grains Research and Development (AU-SAFGRAD), one of the specialized technical Offices (STOs) in the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (ARBE), organized a training on Design, Operations and Maintenance (DOM) of Climate smart agricultural technologies for agrifood systems transformation in Africa.

The 10-day intensive training from 31^st March- 9^th April 2026,  was organized in collaboration with the League of Arab States’ Arab Fund for Technical Assistance to African countries (AFTAAC) and l’ Agence Tunisienne de Coopération Technique (ATCT). The Training course adopted a mixed mode of seminar lectures, practical training, and field visits delivered and facilitated by technical and field experts from agricultural research institutes and commercial farms. Read more

Artificial Intelligence: Governance, Peace and Security in Africa

Tomorrow (16 April), the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) will convene its 1339^th session on ‘Artificial Intelligence: Governance, Peace and Security in Africa’. The session will be held at the Ministerial level.

Following opening remarks by Gedion Timothewos Hessebon, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Chairperson of the PSC for April 2026, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the AU Commission will make the introductory statement. The meeting will then receive briefings from Worku Gachena Negera, Director General of Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute, and Samson Itodo, Chairperson of the African Union Advisory Group on Artificial Intelligence. Bernardo Mariano Junior, Assistant Secretary-General, Chief Information Technology Officer, UN Office of Information and Communications Technology (UNOICT) will also make a statement. Read more

Peaceful Dissent or Security Threat? State Responses to Youth-led Protests in Kenya (2023– 2024)

In the period 2023–2024, Kenya witnessed an upsurge in youth-led protests that significantly challenged state legitimacy and governance. This article explores the dilemma in which the state is split between viewing the protests as legitimate expressions of peaceful dissent and perceiving them as threats to national security that necessitate the use of significant force to deter. Using the human security and bottom-up peacebuilding frameworks, it analyses the Kenyan state’s response to recent youth-led protests, examining the impact of securitisation of the protests on peace and stability, and recommending actions that may engender the re-imagining of state-youth engagement for a better Kenya. Through identified practice and policy recommendations, it aims to balance the civic rights of the youth with the security needs of the state. Read more

13th Meeting of the COMESA Ministers Responsible for Gender and Women’s Affairs

16 April 2026, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The 13th Meeting of the COMESA Ministers Responsible for Gender and Women’s Affairs convened in Addis Ababa, bringing together Ministers, senior officials, COMESA institutions, and cooperating partners to advance a results-oriented agenda on gender equality, women’s empowerment, and social development across the region. Read more

Rwanda to host AI4EAC STI Conference on responsible artificial intelligence in Kigali

Plans are underway for the upcoming AI4EAC Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Conference, which will be held in Kigali with a focus on advancing the responsible use of artificial intelligence across East Africa.

The conference was discussed during a meeting between Muyambi Fortunate, Deputy Executive Secretary of the East African Science and Technology Commission, and Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire.

Scheduled to take place at the Kigali Convention Centre, the conference will be held under the theme “Harnessing Responsible Artificial Intelligence for the East Africa We Envision.” It is expected to bring together policymakers, researchers, innovators, and industry leaders from across the region. Read more

African Union Holds Continental Consultation on CAADP Kampala Result Framework and Biennial Review (BR)

The Continental Consultation on CAADP Kampala Result Framework and Biennial Review (BR) Indicators successfully concluded in Windhoek, Namibia, held from 24-27 March 2026. The Four-day consultation workshop brought together African Union Member States, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and technical experts, to consider and review a harmonized framework for tracking progress on the Compressive Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Kampala Strategy and Action Plan (2026-2035). Read more

ECA boss urges Africa to embrace innovation shift.

Africa’s growth over two decades has been real but not transformative, driven more by labour, capital, and commodities than productivity and innovation, said Claver Gatete, the Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa.

Mr Gatete said this following the 58th session of the ECA and the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development meetings, which began on Saturday in Tangier, Morocco.

In a statement by ECA’s communications section, Mr Gatete said too little labour had moved from subsistence agriculture into higher-productivity sectors. Read more

How data governance will define Africa’s AI future

Gemini said

Digital public infrastructure is expanding across Africa, connectivity improving and governments and businesses are increasingly exploring how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) can support economic growth and public services.

The defining question is not only whether Africa participates in the AI economy, but if value created from African data, talent and deployment is captured within the continent’s economies.

At the centre of this challenge lies data because AI systems rely on data to learn, adapt and generate value. Read more

Bridging Africa’s youth aspirational gap: unlocking high-growth entrepreneurship

Africa’s youth are brimming with entrepreneurial ambition. Yet, despite an estimated 75% aspiring to start businesses, most face significant barriers that prevent them from turning ideas into thriving enterprises. Limited access to finance, weak support systems, and restrictive regulatory environments force many into “survival” businesses, ventures born of necessity rather than opportunity. These businesses rarely scale, generate few jobs, and contribute minimally to long-term economic transformation. Lastly, and as a long-term consequence: it might generate precarious and informal jobs. Read more

Education priorities to help young people shape Africa’s future

Young people today are navigating a world that is changing fast. From advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and technology to the impacts of climate change and global politics, they’re preparing not just to face uncertainty – but to shape what comes next.

How effectively they do this will depend in part on their education, which has a crucial role in equipping students with the skills, knowledge and behaviours to thrive in the future, writes Juan Visser, regional director: sub-Saharan Africa, International Education at Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Read more