Goalkeepers 2026 Dakar brought together African innovators, healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs and other experts on October 29, 2026, to examine how artificial intelligence can support the continent’s development and create more equal opportunities for young people.
Held in Dakar, Senegal, the event was part of the Goalkeepers 2026 series and centred on the theme “Make This Matter: Equitable AI and the Future of African Youth.” Discussions focused on how African countries can make better use of artificial intelligence across sectors such as healthcare, education and agriculture, while addressing the inequalities that could limit access to its benefits.
The conversations came at a time when AI tools are increasingly being used by Africans to develop businesses, improve services and address problems in their communities. However, the benefits of the technology are not automatically shared equally. Access to resources, relevant training, infrastructure and tools remains an important part of the discussion about how AI can contribute to development across the continent.
The Dakar gathering combined panel discussions, presentations and performances, including an appearance by Senegalese music legend Youssou N’Dour. One of the event’s interactive sessions, titled “Qui veut changer le monde?” (Who Wants to Change the World?), gave emerging innovators an opportunity to present ideas aimed at solving practical problems in their communities.
The event was hosted in English and French by Fatou Jupiter Toure, who opened the gathering with a message about collective responsibility: “It is not about what you can do. It is about what we can do for each other.”
Her remarks drew on the African philosophy of shared humanity, often expressed through the idea that individual progress is connected to the well-being of others. That principle provided a fitting starting point for discussions about AI and the need to ensure that technological progress benefits more than a limited group of people.
Several speakers highlighted work already taking place across Africa, showing how AI can support existing solutions rather than replace the people responsible for delivering essential services.
Vyonne Njeri spoke about her experience in healthcare and how technology is helping her support the community she serves. According to her account in the Goalkeepers 2026 Report, her interest in healthcare developed after a visit to her uncle, a priest in the small town of Modogashe in eastern Kenya.
She explained that AI can assist healthcare professionals by helping identify issues that might otherwise be overlooked and supporting the delivery of healthcare to more people. However, she stressed that technology should remain a support tool, not a replacement for trained medical workers.
“AI is not perfect. It must not take over clinical work,” she said. “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.”
Her contribution highlighted an important issue in the debate about AI in African healthcare. While technology may help address gaps in access and improve certain aspects of medical work, trained professionals remain essential to making clinical decisions and caring for patients.
Education was another major subject during the discussions. Mamadou Ly spoke about the potential of AI to make learning more accessible, particularly when tools are developed to support African languages and local learning needs.
“Education is not just about reading and writing. It is also an act of dignity,” he said.
His remarks pointed to the importance of language in education and the opportunities AI could create for children who do not learn primarily in widely used international languages. Tools that support mother-tongue learning could help address some of the barriers faced by young learners, provided they are developed with the communities they are intended to serve.
The discussion about AI opportunities continued with the “Qui veut changer le monde?” session, which invited three contestants to pitch their ideas in two minutes each. The presentations were assessed by a panel of judges with experience in international leadership, entrepreneurship and artificial intelligence.
The judging panel included Fatma Samoura, former diplomat and senior executive who became the first woman to serve as FIFA Secretary General; Karim Sy, entrepreneur and founder and Chief Catalyst of Jokkolabs; and Dr Seydina Ndiaye, an AI expert at the United Nations High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence and Principal Investigator of the AI Living Lab for Innovative and Viable Ethical Policies and Systems (ALIVE Lab).
The three presentations focused on education, healthcare and agriculture, demonstrating how emerging African innovators are applying technology to challenges that affect everyday life.
Maguette Toure presented MAKEDA, a reading application designed to help young children learn French through their mother tongue. The idea addresses a challenge in early education by recognising the role that familiar languages can play in helping children develop reading skills.
Alyssa Youm introduced Mason Health, a MedTech AI startup developing a smart microscope to assist healthcare professionals. The project highlighted the potential for AI-supported medical tools to contribute to healthcare services.
The third contestant, Abdou Aziz Diallo, presented MBOSS, a system designed to help farmers manage irrigation more efficiently. By using modern, accessible tools, the project aims to reduce water consumption while improving crop yields.
Although the three proposals addressed different sectors, they shared a common approach: using technology to respond to identifiable needs within local communities. Their presentations also demonstrated that African innovators are not simply looking to adopt technologies developed elsewhere. They are developing their own ideas around the economic, educational and social conditions they understand.
The session gave the contestants an opportunity to present their work before an experienced panel, with the winner receiving a dinner with one of the judges.
The broader discussions at Goalkeepers 2026 Dakar reflected a growing need to consider not only how quickly AI is developing, but also who has access to it and who benefits from its use. Expanding AI adoption without addressing differences in access, skills and resources could leave some communities further behind.
For Africa’s young population, the stakes are particularly significant. AI has potential applications in education, healthcare, agriculture and business, but turning that potential into practical benefits requires investment in people, training and solutions that respond to local needs.
The Dakar gathering brought these questions into one conversation, placing African experiences and ideas at the centre of the debate. As Fatou Jupiter Toure reminded participants at the close of the event, “Technology is the tool. People are the point.”
