From Africa News GH | Story by Paul mensah Nsor
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Beyond AI series hosted a workshop on the Theme:”WOMEN HOLD UP HALF THE SKY BUT WHO OWNS THE CLOUD?”, emphasizing the need for women’s involvement in tech and data ownership. Kambale Musavuli, founder of Beyond AI, highlighted the disparity between women’s contributions to AI development and their lack of ownership in the space.
The workshop featured a panel of women experts, including Farida N. Bedwei (Technology leader), Jennifer Addochoe Moffatt, Emmanuella Boahenmaa Owusu, and Aincre Maame-Fosua Evans, who discussed the dangers of AI and the importance of advocacy. Musavuli emphasized the need for education on data importance and digital sovereignty.
Jennifer Addochoe Moffatt, BudgIT Ghana’s Country Director and civic-tech specialist advancing transparency and citizen engagement through data and technology , opened the conversation by framing the debate around who finances and ultimately controls technological development on the continent.
Panelists urged a shift from dependence on external donors toward local investment and agency. Jennifer Moffatt argued that many African AI initiatives today are donor-funded or supported by individuals using personal resources, which raises questions about who truly “owns the cloud” and who benefits from technological advances. The discussion emphasized that without deliberate local investment and policy support, Africa risks remaining a consumer rather than a creator of critical technologies.
