Keynote speaker
Bienvenu Agbokponto Soglo
Speaker at AMLD Africa 2026
Dr. Bienvenu Agbokponto Soglo is the Vice President for Technology, Policy & Innovation at Blacklin Associates. A seasoned technology executive and policy strategist with over two decades of international experience, he focuses on leveraging AI-driven innovation to advance inclusive growth across emerging markets. He also serves as a Research & Innovation Associate in the Department of Electrical Engineering, at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). As Founder & CEO of BICAS, a deep tech advisory and innovation
firm, Dr. Soglo aims to help governments, companies, and institutions design future ready digital ecosystems that balance technological advancement with societal impact.
Previously, Dr. Soglo held senior roles at Intel, Qualcomm, and Huawei, leading policy engagement on AI, 5G/6G, broadband, spectrum, data governance, and digital inclusion. He spearheaded the Intel Community Reach Program, dedicated to bridging Africa’s digital divide and enabling local AI innovation; and chaired the GSA ATU Spectrum team for nearly four years. A recognized thought leader in deep tech ecosystems, he has
contributed to major continental and international policy dialogues through the ITU, WTO, AU, ATU, Smart Africa, and B20; and serves as Thematic Lead for Entrepreneurship & SME Growth at the ITU Innovation & Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development and was a member of the South Africa’s National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) Working Group on AI. Fluent in English, French, and Chinese, he holds a Ph.D. from Tsinghua University and executive certification in Corporate Governance from Wharton.
At AMLD Africa
- AMLD Africa 2026Keynote
WITS University, Johannesburg, South Africa
Bienvenu Agbokponto SOGLO: AI Governance in Africa - Aligning Policy and Regulation to Foster Innovation
Artificial intelligence (AI) presents transformative opportunities for Africa’s socio-economic development, enabling advances in public service delivery, financial inclusion, healthcare, agriculture, and digital infrastructure. According to a recent AfDB report on “Africa’s AI Productivity Gain”, AI has the potential to deliver transformational gains for Africa’s economy and could generate up to US $1 trillion in additional GDP by 2035. However, the ability to harness this potential depends on simultaneous progress across key enablers i.e. Compute & Digital Infrastructure, Data Ecosystems, Skills & Human Capital, Trust & Governance, Innovation & Capital. This presentation focuses on AI Governance in Africa and examines how African policymakers and regulators can align AI governance frameworks with existing national policies, legal instruments, and continental frameworks to mitigate AI-related risks while fostering innovation. It argues for a pragmatic, risk-based, and context-sensitive approach to AI governance – one that is adaptive, future-proof, and that leverages existing national policies, regulations, and legislation (e.g. data protection, Intellectual Property, Cybersecurity, competition, and sector-specific regulation), as well as relevant continental frameworks; complement and strengthen them, while addressing regulatory gaps and emerging policy areas in order to mitigate and safeguard against AI-related harms. Drawing on global best practices, including the EU AI Act, UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, and OECD AI Principles, the presentation concluded by proposing fourteen high-Level Policy Recommendations for AI Governance in African Nations for establishing adaptive, inclusive, and innovation-enabling AI governance frameworks that strengthen Africa’s position in the global AI ecosystem while safeguarding societal values and public trust.
AI Panel with Bienvenu Agbokponto SOGLO , Barbara Glover, Christelle Onana and Joseph JTR Mugauri
Interoperability, Not Uniformity: Making Africa’s AI Policies Work Together
