AI-Driven Agricultural and Health Interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa: Governance, Ethics, and the Role of Philanthropy
Manfred Obinwanne Igwenagu *
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Prairie View A & M University, USA.
Adeyemi Olatunbosun
Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, Atlanta Georgia, USA.
Olaitan Ebenezer Oluwadare
Department of Applied Mathematics, School of Physics, Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, Delaware State University, USA.
Emmanuel Oluwasegun Ismaila
Project Center for Agro Technologies, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russian Federation.
Leonard Amoako
Department of Economics Applied Economics & Data Intelligence, Lee Business School, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), USA.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly deployed in agriculture and health across Sub-Saharan Africa, promising to enhance productivity, improve diagnostics, and strengthen decision-making in contexts characterized by resource constraints and systemic vulnerabilities. This critical review examines AI-driven interventions in these sectors through the lenses of governance, ethics, and philanthropic influence. It highlights the potential benefits of AI, including improved smallholder decision-making, climate resilience, early disease detection, and health system efficiency. At the same time, the review identifies key challenges, including regulatory and institutional capacity gaps, data sovereignty concerns, risks of digital colonialism arising from external control of data and infrastructure, algorithmic bias, and persistent inequities in access. The role of philanthropic organizations is examined critically, emphasizing their dual function as enablers of innovation and shapers of agendas that may not fully align with local priorities or long-term sustainability. The article argues that the transformative potential of AI in Sub-Saharan Africa depends on robust, context-sensitive governance frameworks, ethical design that foregrounds equity and local relevance, and accountable philanthropic engagement that supports capacity building and system strengthening. The review concludes by outlining future research directions and policy implications aimed at promoting responsible, inclusive, and sustainable AI adoption in the region.
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Sub-Saharan Africa, agriculture, health, governance, ethics, philanthropy, equity, data sovereignty, AI for development