11 July 2025, Lusaka: The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) and the African Population Health Research Center (APHRC), in collaboration with the GSMA, today concluded the first Africa Digital Parliamentary Summit focused on building legislative capacity in Artificial Intelligence (AI), data protection, digital health and smart manufacturing, in a bid to promote evidence-based policy-making for Africa’s digital future.
The three-day Summit, held from 9-11 July in Lusaka, convened over 20 Members of Parliament from the Pan-African Parliament Committees on Transport, Industry, Communications, Energy, Science and Technology, and Health, Labour and Social Affairs and was opened by the Zambian Minister of Technology and Science, Honourable Felix Mutati. Strategic partners in attendance included AUDA-NEPAD, Africa CDC, ECOSOCC, and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
This concluded with the publication of the Lusaka Declaration outlining shared priorities and next steps for ensuring Africa’s digital transformation is inclusive, responsible and grounded in evidence-based policy. The Lusaka Declaration recognised the vital role of Members of Parliament in shaping laws and policies that drive the continent’s development. The Digital Parliamentary Summit offered a timely platform to enhance the knowledge and capacity of Parliamentarians on critical aspects of digital transformation.
A key highlight of the Summit was the consideration and discussion with Parliamentarians on the draft Africa Digital Health and Smart Manufacturing reports developed by APHRC and the GSMA. Both reports will be submitted to the Plenary of the PAP when Parliamentarians of the 55 member states of the African Union meet in Midrand later this month on the occasion of the 5th Ordinary Session of the 6th Legislature of the Pan-African Parliament.
Honourable Behdja Mokrani, Chairperson of the Pan-African Parliament Committee on Transport, Industry, Communications, Energy, Science and Technology said “Against the backdrop of global economic uncertainties and the accelerating pace of technological disruption, this Summit has highlighted the critical need to equip African legislators with the foresight and capabilities required to navigate the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The capacity-building component of the Summit, along with the presentation of the Africa Digital Health and Smart Manufacturing Reports by APHRC and GSMA, reinforced the importance of African policymakers acquiring the relevant skills to address policy issues related to digital transformation – particularly in the areas of Digital Health and Smart Manufacturing – in alignment with the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Anthony Mveyange, Director of Programs, Synergy, African Population Health Research Center adds “At APHRC, we firmly believe that digital health is a transformative force, holding immense potential for Africa to ‘leapfrog’ traditional development pathways. This Summit powerfully demonstrates how, by leveraging AI alongside advancements in digital health and smart manufacturing, we can accelerate socio-economic progress and foster deeper continental integration, directly aligning with the ambitious goals of the African Union’s Agenda.”
Key themes explored during the Summit included:
- The potential of AI-driven digital health to accelerate universal health coverage through better data integration and cross-border information exchange
- The role of smart manufacturing in enhancing industrial resilience and job creation through automation and IoT
- The need for harmonised, Africa-led data governance frameworks to ensure responsible AI development and protect privacy and human rights
“AI, digital health, and smart manufacturing have the potential to transform Africa’s economies and improve lives – but unlocking that potential requires the right policy environment. This Summit is an important step in equipping lawmakers with the tools to shape secure, inclusive and future-ready digital economies” said Kenechi Okeleke, Senior Director, Regional, Social and Policy Research, GSMA.
Participants reaffirmed their commitment to advancing digital transformation through coordinated reforms, including:
- Strengthening STEM education and digital literacy among policymakers
- Embedding ICT training in public service development
- Establishing cross-sector collaboration between the health, trade and ICT sectors
- Creating enabling conditions for investment in advanced connectivity infrastructure
Draft findings presented during the Summit estimate that Africa’s digital health market could reach $6.5 billion by 2030 under an optimistic scenario, highlighting the urgent need for policy alignment to maximise impact and drive inclusive growth.
The Summit also set out a roadmap for ongoing engagement between the Pan-African Parliament, APHRC and the GSMA, including the establishment of ‘Evidence-to-Policy’ resource units, sustained capacity-building efforts, and regional forums to harmonise legislation on AI, digital health, and data governance across Africa.
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About the Pan-African Parliament
The Pan-African Parliament (PAP), as the continental legislature, serves as a platform for representatives from all African states to engage in discussions and decision-making on the continent’s challenges. It is one of the nine organs of the African Union, as provided for in Article 5 of the Constitutive Act of the AU, adopted on 11 July 2000 in Lomé, Togo. The composition, powers, functions, and organization of the PAP are defined in Article 2 of the Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community Relating to the Pan-African Parliament, adopted in Sirte, Libya, on 2 March 2001. The Pan-African Parliament represents all the peoples of Africa and is currently composed of 275 Members of Parliament representing 55 African countries.
About the GSMA
The GSMA is a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry, and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach. This activity includes advancing policy, tackling today’s biggest societal challenges, underpinning the technology and interoperability that make mobile work, and providing the world’s largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events.
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