Nigeria and other Sub-Saharan Africa countries rank ninth out of nine global regions as Egypt has emerged as Africa’s leading country in artificial intelligence readiness, ranking first on the continent and 51st globally in the 2025 Government AI Readiness Index published by Oxford Insights.

The impressive ranking has been lauded as underscoring North Africa’s growing influence in the global AI race.

According to Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), the country scored 57.5 points out of 100, climbing 14 places from 65th in 2024.

The Nile nation also ranked fourth in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, behind Saudi Arabia, Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

The Oxford Insights index assesses 195 governments using 69 indicators across six pillars, including policy capacity, governance, AI infrastructure, public sector adoption, development and diffusion, and resilience.

Egypt topped the Policy Capacity pillar globally with a perfect score of 100, tying with the UK, Serbia and Australia, an indicator of strong national AI policymaking and institutional readiness.

Oxford Insights noted that countries such as Egypt are “expanding the use of AI across national priorities while shaping policies to strengthen domestic AI ecosystems,” although gaps in infrastructure and talent development remain in some contexts.

MCIT minister Amr Talaat attributed Egypt’s strong performance to deliberate government action.

“This achievement reflects our efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into public services and accelerate digital transformation through Egypt’s second National AI Strategy. We are positioning Egypt as a regional AI hub while ensuring AI delivers real economic and social value,” he said.

Launched for 2025–2030, Egypt’s National AI Strategy targets sectors such as healthcare, justice and public administration, while aiming to train 30 000 AI specialists by 2030 and raise AI’s contribution to GDP to 7.7%.

Talaat also highlighted Egypt’s cybersecurity credentials when he highlighted that the country ranked among the top 12 globally in the ITU’s Global Cyber security Index.

Regionally, the results expose sharp contrasts across Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa ranks ninth out of nine global regions, with an average score of 28.04, reflecting persistent gaps in AI infrastructure and public sector adoption.

However, countries such as Kenya, South Africa, Mauritius and Nigeria lead the sub-region, while Rwanda and Ethiopia are gaining momentum through innovation hubs and policy reforms.

In contrast, the MENA region ranks fifth globally, buoyed by significant investment in AI infrastructure and policy capacity, particularly in Gulf states.

Wema Bank Plc has launched the upgraded version of its flagship digital banking platform, ALAT by Wema. Designed as the next phase in digital banking, the upgraded version of ALAT delivers a smarter, faster, and more intuitive experience, reinforcing Wema Bank’s leadership in technology-driven financial services.

Tagged ALAT: The Evolution, the upgraded version represents a significant advancement in how customers interact with their bank.

It enables seamless banking through intelligent features such as voice banking (called SAW), which allows customers to carry out banking activities using natural voice commands, reducing friction and improving accessibility.

It also introduces Tap and Pay for quick, secure, and convenient contactless transactions, alongside uptime prediction that enhances transparency, reliability, and confidence around service availability.

Together, these innovations are designed to simplify everyday banking while anticipating customer needs in real time, reinforcing Wema Bank’s commitment to trust, efficiency, and customer-centric digital experiences.

While announcing the upgraded version of the ALAT Banking app, Moruf Oseni, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Wema Bank, said, “ALAT: The Evolution is more than an upgrade. It is a clear demonstration of our commitment to redefining digital banking in Africa.

“By understanding the future of banking and listening closely to our customers, we have upgraded ALAT by Wema to a digital banking platform that is smart, intelligent and dependable. This evolution reinforces our promise to deliver innovation that genuinely enhances how people live, work, and transact everyday.”

He added that migrating to the upgraded app is seamless. “Existing customers can simply visit the Google Play Store or Apple App Store to update their existing ALAT app and sign-in with their existing login details (All their account information and transaction history remain intact on their profile and they will also gain access to new features that make banking faster, more intuitive, and more reliable).

For new customers, all they have to do is visit the Google Play Store or Apple App Store to download ALAT by Wema app and click the Get Started icon to onboard seamlessly.

Speaking on the technology in the upgraded ALAT by Wema, Olusegun Adeniyi, Chief Digital Officer at Wema Bank, explained, “With ALAT: The Evolution, we set out to enhance not just functionality but the overall banking experience.

“By integrating voice banking, contactless payments, and predictive reliability, we are delivering a platform that is built on powerful technology and responds intelligently to customer needs. This upgrade reflects our long-term digital vision to create a digital bank that is adaptive, intuitive, and consistently available.”

Built on speed, intelligence, and user-centric design, ALAT: The Evolution redefines everyday banking through intuitive features such as voice-enabled transactions, contactless payments, and predictive service reliability. Designed to anticipate customer needs in real time, the platform delivers a smarter, more seamless, and dependable digital banking experience that reflects Wema Bank’s vision for the future of finance.

With the upgraded version of ALAT, Wema Bank continues to strengthen its position as a digital-first institution, delivering innovative solutions that empower individuals and businesses to bank with confidence in an increasingly digital economy.

As Nigeria enters a new phase of tax administration, a locally developed technology platform, Kaanta AI, has been launched to help Nigerians have a better understanding of their tax obligations.

Kaanta AI is a WhatsApp-based, AI-powered tax assistant designed to provide simplified tax guidance to traders, small and medium-sized businesses, professionals, and individuals.

The platform arrives at a time when tax reforms and compliance requirements are becoming more prominent in public discourse.

Rather than relying on complex online portals or technical language, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Oluwaferanmi Oladepo, at the launch of the innovation, explained that Kaanta AI operates entirely on WhatsApp, allowing users to ask tax-related questions, receive explanations, calculate taxes, and understand available reliefs using text, voice, or handwritten notes.

The service also supports local languages, including Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, and Pidgin, expanding access beyond English-speaking users.

With the new tax law taking effect on January 1, 2026, analysts expect increased public confusion and misinformation. However, Oladepo assured Nigerians that Kaanta AI positions itself as a verification and guidance tool, offering instant responses to tax-related questions and concerns.

He described the platform as a response to a long-standing gap in tax education, sayin,: “Tax should not feel scary or confusing. Kaanta AI is built to help Nigerians understand what applies to them and make informed decisions, using clear and accessible language.”

According to the tech guru, in addition to basic explanations, the platform provides tax calculations and insights on tax reliefs, noting that the company also plans to introduce professional tax services, including filing support for small businesses and larger organisations. Kaanta AI operates a freemium model, with basic guidance available at no cost and advanced services offered through paid plans.

According to Tobiloba Olanipekun, Product and Growth Lead, the platform was designed around how Nigerians already communicate.

Olanipekun said: “WhatsApp is where people naturally ask questions and seek help. We wanted Kaanta AI to feel like a conversation, not a lecture. Anyone from a market trader to a young professional can ask questions freely and get clear answers.”

He added that the long-term goal is to improve tax education and compliance culture across the country, adding that: “With tax becoming part of everyday conversation in Nigeria, we aim to guide people with clarity rather than confusion.”

Kaanta AI is now available to users nationwide. As tax reforms take centre stage in 2026, the platform is expected to play a role in helping Nigerians navigate the changing tax landscape.