A new joint initiative by AUDA-NEPAD (the African Union Development Agency), AXM, and Africa Investor Group has produced a report on governance infrastructure for the creative and cultural economy, with particular focus on Africa's position in the global AI landscape.
The report examines the intersection of cultural intellectual property, AI governance, and economic development, arguing that African nations and institutions need purpose-built infrastructure to participate in and benefit from the AI-driven creative economy. As AI systems increasingly access and process creative and cultural works at global scale, the report highlights the risk that without proper governance infrastructure, value extraction will outpace value creation for communities across the continent.
Key Themes
Infrastructure Over Regulation Alone. The report argues that while legal frameworks are essential, they are insufficient without supporting technical infrastructure. Machine-readable consent, portable authorization, and interoperable rights registries are presented as necessary complements to policy — tools that make governance enforceable at the speed of AI.
Africa's Creative Economy. The continent's creative and cultural industries are among the fastest growing in the world, yet they remain underrepresented in global AI governance discussions. The report positions cultural IP as a strategic asset and calls for investment in the infrastructure needed to manage it.
Institutional Capacity. Libraries, archives, universities, collecting societies, and cultural institutions are identified as critical nodes in a governance infrastructure — organizations that hold trusted relationships with creators and can serve as authorized custodians within a governed system.
Interoperability and Sovereignty. The report calls for governance infrastructure that is interoperable across borders and platforms while respecting national and community sovereignty over cultural assets. This balance between openness and sovereignty is presented as essential for equitable participation in the global AI economy.
The Partnership
The collaboration between AUDA-NEPAD, AXM, and Africa Investor Group brings together complementary perspectives: AUDA-NEPAD's mandate for continental development, AXM's technical expertise in machine authorization infrastructure, and Africa Investor Group's experience in mobilizing investment for African development priorities.
This initiative reflects a growing recognition that the governance of AI's interaction with creative and cultural works is not merely a technical challenge or a legal question — it is a development priority that requires coordinated action across technology, policy, and investment.
The full report is available for review and provides detailed analysis, case studies, and recommendations for policymakers, technologists, and institutional leaders working at the intersection of AI governance and the creative economy.