As African universities accelerate the adoption of Artificial Intelligence, experts are calling for a model rooted in collaboration and context.Education leaders say South–South partnerships are critical — allowing institutions to share infrastructure costs, scale successful pilot projects, and avoid costly mistakes. Networks such as the Education Collaborative are already helping universities learn from one another and co-develop solutions suited to emerging markets.But collaboration alone is not enough.Innovation leaders within the AfriLabs ecosystem argue that AI systems must be built on local data and traditional knowledge systems to ensure relevance. They warn that overreliance on foreign datasets and external funding risks producing tools that fail to reflect African realities.The message is clear: Africa’s AI future must be shared — but it must also be sovereign.