The Africa Soft Power Summit 2025, a gathering that focuses on the continent's

The Africa Soft Power Summit 2025, a gathering that focuses on the continent's growing influence in various sectors, saw tech giants Google and Meta advocating for AI sovereignty. They emphasized the importance of developing artificial intelligence systems that are tailored to Africa's languages, cultures, and specific needs.

Lorna Omondi from Google Research Africa highlighted the company's efforts to train AI models using African datasets and promote multilingual access to technologies, especially in areas like agriculture, healthcare, energy, and legal services. This approach is aimed at ensuring that AI solutions address challenges relevant to African users.

Meta's Vice President of Public Policy for Africa, the Middle East, and Türkiye, Kojo Boakye, also emphasized the need for Africa to move from being a consumer of AI technologies to a co-creator and significant contributor on the global stage.

The summit, which was held in Nairobi from May 21 to 25, 2025, also touched on other important themes such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), with a keynote by Kenyan MP Hon. Naisula Lesuuda discussing the necessity of shifting mindsets and structures to achieve genuine DEI outcomes.

The event concluded with the ASP Gala & Awards, celebrating pioneers in technology, media, fashion, and governance, underscoring the summit's broader objective of showcasing African excellence to the world. A post-event report is set to be released, detailing key insights and proposing new frameworks for fostering innovation and creativity across the continent.