Today, as we remember Dr. Kwame Nkrumah on his birthday, it is worth asking ourselves: what would Ghana’s first President and arguably Africa’s boldest Pan-Africanist make of our world today — a world driven by technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
Nkrumah was a dreamer and a doer. He imagined an Africa that was united, industrialized, and free from the chains of foreign domination. If he lived in our generation, he would see technology as the new tool to fight the battles he once fought with politics, philosophy, and mass mobilization.
What Nkrumah Would Do
Harness technology for unity. Nkrumah would have championed digital platforms that connect Africans across borders — from trade to education, from governance to culture. In his eyes, the smartphone and the internet would not just be gadgets, but weapons for Pan-African solidarity.
Invest in education and innovation. True to his passion for knowledge, he would ensure every African child learns to code, design, and innovate. Universities and research centers would be buzzing with AI labs, and Africa’s brightest minds would not be forced to leave the continent to make their mark.
Use technology to uplift the vulnerable. For Nkrumah, technology would not be about luxury — it would be about justice. He would see AI as a tool to improve healthcare, modernize agriculture, and make government services fairer and more transparent.
Fight for African-controlled digital infrastructure. Just as he warned about neocolonialism, Nkrumah would see the danger of Africa relying on foreign-controlled platforms. He would demand African-owned data systems, local innovation ecosystems, and AI models that speak our languages and reflect our values.
What Nkrumah Would Not Do
He would not surrender Africa’s digital future. Nkrumah would fiercely oppose policies that hand over our data, markets, and sovereignty to outside forces. For him, Africa’s independence must also mean digital independence.
He would not allow technology to deepen inequality. In his Ghana, the digital divide would not be tolerated. He would insist that rural communities, women, and marginalized groups must benefit equally from the digital revolution.
He would not ignore the risks. Surveillance abuse, misinformation, and cultural erasure — these would alarm him. He would call for ethical guidelines rooted in African values, so technology liberates rather than oppresses.
Nkrumah’s Birthday Call to Us
On this day, we celebrate a man whose vision was always ahead of his time. If Nkrumah were here, he would remind us that technology and AI are not just toys of convenience; they are tools of destiny. The real question is whether we will use them to build the Africa he dreamed of — united, just, and self-reliant — or whether we will let them become new chains of digital slavery.
As we honor his memory, let us remember that the future Nkrumah fought for is now in our hands, powered by the tools of our age.
