Côte d’Ivoire has taken a significant step towards embracing the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with the development of its National AI and Data Governance Strategy. This policy brief emerges from the critical discussions and expert insights shared during Paradigm Initiative’s Côte d’Ivoire inaugural Digital Policy Engagement Series (DiPES), convened in Abidjan.

While acknowledging the government’s forward-thinking approach and stated ambition to leverage AI for national development across key sectors, this analysis
reveals critical gaps that could undermine the strategy’s effectiveness and impact, particularly the safeguarding of fundamental human rights, the meaningful inclusion of marginalised populations, and the establishment of clear, measurable pathways for implementation.

To ensure that Côte d’Ivoire’s AI journey is both innovative and equitable, this brief presents the need for a fundamental shift towards a rights-based framework for AI governance. It emphasises the urgent need to integrate relevant continental strategies, notably the African Union’s AI Strategy, and to develop concrete, actionable tools, such as a comprehensive human rights addendum and a robust milestone tracking system, to translate policy aspirations into tangible outcomes for all segments of Ivorian society.