EAC, Germany launch AI challenge for innovation

ARUSHA: THE East African Community (EAC), in partnership with the government of Germany, has launched the second edition of the EAC Artificial Intelligence Challenge (AI4EAC), expanding opportunities for youth, researchers and entrepreneurs to gain AI skills and develop solutions to regional challenges.

The initiative offers 50,000 US dollars in prize funding to support winning teams developing AI-powered innovations targeting key sectors across East Africa.

Speaking at the launch held at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha on Tuesday, the Deputy Secretary General in charge of Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors, Mr Aguer Ariik, said the challenge aims to position young East Africans as creators of transformative technologies rather than passive users.

He said the competition is anchored in the EAC AI Alliance, a regional platform that brings together governments, private sector actors, development partners, universities and research institutions to foster a sustainable, home-grown AI ecosystem.

“This second edition targets to reach 20,000 East Africans through AI skilling programmes across all Partner States, enabling students, researchers and entrepreneurs to develop practical solutions for regional development,” he said.

Mr Ariik added that the initiative seeks to equip citizens with the knowledge, skills and partnerships needed to harness artificial intelligence for job creation, improved public service delivery and innovation.

“Our priority is to ensure East Africans can use AI to solve local challenges while building a competitive regional digital economy,” he noted.

On his part, the Head of Division for East and Central Africa at Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Mr Joachim Schmitt, underscored the need for a coordinated regional approach to AI development.

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He said Africa has attracted about 1.25 billion US dollars in AI investments since 2019, with nearly 80 per cent concentrated in only four countries, leaving many regions behind.

Mr Schmitt also noted that Africa holds less than one per cent of global data centre capacity despite accounting for 18 per cent of the world’s population.

“East Africa reflects similar disparities. No single country can close this gap alone. A regional approach is essential to build skills, research and policies aligned with local needs,” he said.

Germany has committed five million euros for the period 2025 to 2028 to support the establishment of the EAC AI Research Network, train 50,000 youth and advance the implementation of the regional AI strategy.

Meanwhile, Equity Bank’s Director of Innovation and Technology, Ms Winnie Mang’eni, said the finance track will encourage participants to design inclusive AI solutions addressing realworld financial sector challenges.

“We want innovators to go beyond the competition and develop solutions that can be scaled for impact,” she said.

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