“Buhari Minister Pantami Lands New Appointment: What’s Next?”

Babatunji Wusu –

– Pantami appointed Co-chairman of AU-ASRIC to influence 4IR Policy for Africa.
– Established NCAIR and created Nigeria’s first Digital Economy Policy.
– Recognized as the first African Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Information Security.
– Co-chair Professor Peter has expertise in human-computer interaction and led Namibia’s 4IR Task Force.
– The council aims to enhance adoption of advanced technologies across Africa.

Professor Isa Ali Pantami, former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has been appointed by the African Union (AU) as Co-chairman of the African Scientific Research and Innovation Council (AU-ASRIC). In this influential role, he will help shape the development of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) Policy and Strategy for Africa, impacting all 54 nations on the continent.

A strong advocate for 4IR, Pantami previously established the National Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) while serving as Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). He also played a key role in creating Nigeria’s first Digital Economy Policy, aimed at fostering a digital society and promoting emerging technologies. Notably, he is recognized as the first African Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Information Security in the UK.

Joining him as co-chair is Professor Anicia Nicola Peter from Namibia, a respected researcher in human-computer interaction and gamification, who has led Namibia’s 4IR Presidential Task Force. The council includes other distinguished experts like Professor Khaleed Ghedira from Tunisia and Professor Maha Grima from Morocco, all committed to advancing technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity across the continent.