AI ADOPTION COULD UNLOCK BILLIONS FOR AFRICAN MANUFACTURERS – DANGOTE EXECUTIVE

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Artificial intelligence could unlock billions of dollars in economic value for Africa’s manufacturing sector, but manufacturers must first address challenges around data, infrastructure, energy, and technical skills, according to Dangote Cement’s Chief Information Officer, Ian Leslie.

Leslie said African manufacturers have an opportunity to use AI to leapfrog older industrial systems and build new production capacity that is digital from the start.

He noted that fragmented and poor-quality data remains one of the major barriers to successful AI adoption, particularly where information is trapped in systems that cannot easily communicate with one another.

A 2025 McKinsey report estimated that generative AI could create between $2.1 billion and $3.6 billion in economic value for advanced manufacturing in Africa by improving product development, production, supply chains, and cost management.

Leslie urged manufacturers to prioritise data management, AI governance, asset documentation, and stronger relationships with equipment manufacturers before scaling AI projects.

He also highlighted unreliable energy, limited connectivity, foreign exchange challenges, and shortages of specialised skills as obstacles that need to be addressed.

The Dangote executive said Africa’s relatively limited legacy infrastructure could become an advantage, allowing new industrial capacity to be designed around digital technologies from the outset.