Luanda: Angola is laying the foundations for a robust and sovereign digital economy, capable of competing with agility and generating inclusive value, the director-general of the Institute for Administrative Modernisation (IMA), Meick Afonso, said on Monday in Luanda. Speaking at the opening of the National Forum on Artificial Intelligence 2025, he stressed that Angola is reforming itself and building, with courage and method, the foundations of an intelligent, data-driven State focused on the dignity of the citizen.
According to Angola Press News Agency, Afonso highlighted that the country is experiencing a moment of technological, political, and economic inflection, where artificial intelligence is becoming the silent but decisive engine of global transformation. He noted that AI, similar to the Internet, can be transformative, provided there is preparation, vision, and commitment. The era of Generative AI, which can create text, image, sound, code, and video based on human commands, represents a significant leap redefining creation and computational analysis.
Afonso emphasized that Generative AI does not replace human intelligence but enhances it, enabling, for example, young entrepreneurs to develop professional visual identities or rural schools to produce context-specific teaching materials. He described this cognitive amplification capacity as a strategic national asset that requires responsibility due to potential issues like intellectual property, misinformation, and algorithmic bias. Consequently, he advocated for public policies, clear regulations, and mechanisms for transparency and auditability to accompany AI adoption.
Ignoring Generative AI, according to Afonso, would mean missing a historic opportunity. He stressed the need to understand, shape, and leverage AI for sustainable development, digital sovereignty, and the common good. He believes that AI is not just a curiosity but a vital element in the future of productivity, competitiveness, and sovereignty.
For digital transformation to yield sustainable results, Afonso underscored the necessity of consolidating interdependent fundamentals, such as secure and universal digital identity for service access, interoperability mechanisms for data sharing, strategic AI adoption for public decision-making, robust cybersecurity architecture, and expanded connectivity to include all citizens in the digital development model.
Afonso also highlighted that AI will redefine value chains, logistics networks, social policies, territory management, legal practices, and employment concepts. He urged the use of AI to drive economic growth with justice, governance with data, and technology with ethics, advocating for a competitive, resilient, and globally open Angola through accelerated innovation and digitalization.
Concurrently, Estªvo Zinga, the general coordinator of the Business and Innovation Forum, remarked that in an ever-changing global context, AI presents an opportunity for positive reconfiguration rather than a threat. He noted the symbolic timing of the National Forum on Artificial Intelligence 2025 (FNIA25) as Angola marks 50 years of Independence, signaling a new phase for the technological ecosystem with leaders from various sectors committed to enhancing the country's digital transformation.
The FNIA25, ending today, focuses on discussing the digital transition in public administration and the impact of generative AI on business. This initiative is promoted by the Business and Innovation Forum, with support from the Institute for Administrative Modernisation (IMA), the Data Protection Agency (APD), and the National Institute for Support to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises.