A Week on AI, African Cities, and Urban Futures: Lagos State and Liberia Delegation Visit Harvard
The Mayor of Monrovia, Liberia, John-Charuk Saah Siafa, and the Governor of Lagos State, Nigeria, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, visit the Harvard Center for African Studies for a week of conversations on artificial intelligence, urban governance, and the future of African cities.
The Harvard Center for African Studies (CAS) hosted a Nigerian and Liberian delegation to Cambridge for a week long program on artificial intelligence, African cities, and urban futures in Africa. The visit brought together students, faculty, and practitioners to examine how technology and governance are reshaping rapidly growing African cities.
The week began on Tuesday with An Evening on AI in Africa, a filmscreening of Makemation, Africa’s first feature film on artificial intelligence. The night opened with remarks from Professor Ebehi Iyoha of Harvard Business School, whose research focuses on artificial intelligence in African financial systems and markets. Professor Iyoha framed the conversation by highlighting how AI is transforming business, financial services, and regulation across Nigeria and much of Africa—from the rise of fintech and digital banking to the complexities of governing fast-evolving technological tools like generative AI. Her remarks set the stage for a wide-ranging discussion on innovation, inclusion, and the risks and opportunities AI presents on the continent.
The evening continued with special guest Dr. Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, a Nigerian Artificial Intelligence Leader and Filmmakerscreening of Makemation. Set in rural Lagos, the coming-of-age story follows a brilliant young girl whose courage and creativity ignite change in her family and community. The film weaves together themes of education, access to STEM and digital skills, renewable energy, female empowerment, and youth-led tech innovation.
On Wednesday, the focus shifted from the screen to the city. The Mayor of Monrovia (Liberia), John-Charuk Saah Siafa, and the Governor of Lagos State (Nigeria) Babajide Sanwo-Olubegan the day with a meeting with Professor Zoe Marks, Faculty Director at CAS transitioning into a ninvite-only luncheon at the CAS Lounge with students from across Harvard, held in preparation for the evening’s JFK Jr. Forum, “Africa's Urban Future: Cities at the Crossroads of Growth and Resilience,” at the Harvard Kennedy School. In this more intimate setting at the CAS Lounge, students were able to ask direct questions about urban planning, challenges, and leadership on the continent. Video of luncheon conversation will be posted on CAS Youtube.
Following their engagements at CAS, the Lagos State delegation paid a visit to Professor Jacob Olupona, Chair of the Department of African and African American Studies. The delegation also visited the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences to meet with Professor Demba Ba, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Director of Undergraduate Studies in Electrical Engineering. The visit underscored how technical innovation and thoughtful governance must go hand in hand to address the challenges of rapidly growing urban centers. Finally, before heading to the JFK Jr. Forum, the leaders also stopped at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, a hub that supports mayors and city leaders around the world through research, training, and practice-oriented partnerships.
The day concluded at the spotlight of the day at the Harvard Kennedy School JFK Jr. Forum, where Mayor Siafa of Liberia, and Governor Sanwo-Olu of Nigeria joined a public conversation on African urban futures. The Governor reflected on how Lagos—one of Africa’s largest and fastest-growing cities—is managing transportation, public safety, and service delivery at scale. The Mayor of Monrovia focused his remarks on waste management and climate adaptation, emphasizing how local initiatives in waste collection, drainage, and coastal protection are critical to both public health and climate resilience, and how data and emerging technologies can support more accountable and effective city governance. Watch the full Forum below.
The week long program was made possible through collaboration across Harvard and beyond, including the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, and Rise Interactive Studios. Together with students and faculty who engaged the delegation in candid dialogue—and with Lagos State and Liberian officials who shared experiences from their cities—the Center for African Studies continues to build on its mission to lay the groundwork for ongoing partnerships on leadership and African urban futures.
