AI & Equity: The Big Conversations at Goalkeepers Dakar 2026

On October 29, 2026, Africans gathered in Dakar, Senegal, to discuss the continent’s relationship with the world’s fastest-growing technology: artificial intelligence (AI). This event was part of the Goalkeepers 2026 series and was themed “Make This Matter: Equitable AI and the Future of African Youth.” It brought together professionals and innovators who focused on how Africa can adopt AI to fill gaps and ensure equitable access across various sectors.

Africans are leveraging AI for business, education and more, but as AI continues to develop and expand rapidly, it is crucial for us to use it on a bigger scale, ensuring collective development and an equitable future for all. This makes the Goalkeepers 2026 event in Dakar particularly significant.

The event included several activities, including performances from the legendary Youssou N’Dour, a Qui veut changer le monden session where people pitched their ideas, conversations about AI and equity and more.

Here are some of the major talking points at the event:

AI and Existing Solutions

The event was graciously hosted in English and French by Fatou Jupiter Toure, who opened by sharing a powerful African message: “It is not about what you can do. It is about what we can do for each other.” Despite the diverse cultures and beliefs that exist on the continent, Africans have remained held by the belief of “I am because you are.” This is why, despite AI’s fast growth, Africans are coming together to examine how much it concerns them, how it can be properly leveraged and what dangers and challenges lie ahead.

Nevertheless, Africans have done a great deal of work with AI. Innovators have used AI tools to provide solutions in their local communities. Vyonne Njeri shared how she got into healthcare and how AI has been greatly helping in the community she serves. In the Goalkeepers 2026 Report, Vyonne said she got into healthcare during a visit to see her uncle, a priest in a small, East Kenyan town called Modogashe. She highlighted that even though AI greatly supports her work, she remains the clinical officer. She explained that “AI is not perfect. It must not take over clinical work. But it can help us share across accessible healthcare. It can help discover what could have been missed early. We still need people to be trained, but AI tools can greatly support us.”

Like Vyonne, Mamadou Ly also shared why and how AI can aid learning, especially in local languages. He said, “Education is not just about reading and writing. It is also an act of dignity.”

AI and Opportunities Ahead

As much as there are people already doing impactful work with AI, there’s still more to be done, which is why the Goalkeepers 2026 Dakar featured a segment tagged “Qui veut changer le monde?” Three contestants were invited to the stage and to pitch their ideas within two minutes each. The judges reviewed their ideas to see whether they would solve problems in their local communities. The winner got a dinner with a judge. The judges were Fatma Samoura, Former Diplomat and Senior Executive, and the first female Secretary General of FIFA; Karim Sy, entrepreneur and businessman, founder and Chief Catalyst of Jokkolabs; and Dr Seydina Ndiaye, AI expert at the UN High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence. Principal Investigator of the AI Living Lab for Innovative and Viable Ethical Policies and Systems (ALIVE Lab).

Maguette Toure pitched MAKEDA, a reading app that teaches young children to read French starting from their mother tongue. Alyssa Youm pitched Mason Health, a MedTech AI startup that develops a smart microscope capable of assisting healthcare professionals. Abdou Aziz Diallo presented MBOSS, a system that helps farmers irrigate smartly, conserving water and boosting crop yields through modern and easy-to-use tools.

The three contestants presented innovative ideas across three sectors: Healthcare, education and agriculture. Their presentations explained how innovative and prepared Africans across the continent are to create innovative AI tools. Africans, when given the right resources, excel. With AI, Africans can even build greater things.

Events like Goalkeepers 2026 Dakar are where Africans can come together to explore how well AI can be better adopted and explore the risks as well as the opportunities. Fatou Jupiter Toure closed off the event with a powerful reminder: Technology is the tool. People are the point.

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