Akure, Nigeria, 18 June 2026, The Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS), in collaboration with the TWAS Young Affiliates Network (TYAN), convened the 5th African Symposium on Big Data, Analytics and Machine Intelligence (ASBAMI 2026), held from 18-20 June 2026 at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Nigeria. Organized under the theme, “Data-Driven AI for Sustainable Impact: From Research to Real-World Solutions in the Global South”, the symposium was organized alongside the 22nd TWAS Young Affiliates Network (TYAN) International Thematic Workshop. The other partners for the symposium include FUTA, Nigeria; GigaScience; Karabük University, Türkiye; and the Automated Contact Tracing Research Group (ACTRG).

Building on the success of its previous editions, ASBAMI 2026 continued its mission of providing an international platform for researchers, academics, industry leaders, innovators, policymakers, development partners, and students to exchange knowledge, present cutting-edge research, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data Analytics, Data Science, and Machine Intelligence. The symposium aimed to accelerate the adoption of data-driven technologies to address pressing sustainable development challenges across Africa and the wider Global South.

The three-day event brought together participants from universities, research institutions, government agencies, industry, and international organizations representing Nigeria, Australia, Benin, China, Egypt, Guinea, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and several other countries.

As a strategic partner, COMSATS facilitated the participation of distinguished experts from its Member State, Tanzania, whose technical presentations and scientific contributions enhanced the quality of deliberations and promoted greater scientific collaboration among participating institutions. Their active engagement further strengthened knowledge exchange and reinforced the importance of South-South cooperation in advancing research and innovation. Additionally, for the subject symposium, the Executive Director COMSATS, Ambassador Dr. Mohammad Nafees Zakaria served as a member of the Steering Committee, while the Director International Partnerships Office (IPOs) & Head CCCS-COMSATS, Dr. Mehwish Durani served on the Programme Committee, contributing to the strategic planning and successful organization of the event.

The inaugural session of the symposium featured an address by the Executive Director COMSATS, Ambassador Dr. Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, who highlighted Data-Driven Artificial Intelligence as a transformative tool for addressing complex development challenges across the Global South. Stressing the need for sustained investment in human capital, inclusive governance frameworks, and strengthened international scientific cooperation, Ambassador Dr. Zakaria emphasized that harnessing the full potential of AI requires collaborative efforts among governments, academia, research institutions, and development partners. He also commended FUTA, TYAN, and collaborating institutions for their significant role in promoting AI-driven research and innovation for sustainable development.

COMSATS’ continued partnership for the Symposium reflects its longstanding commitment to advancing scientific collaboration, capacity building, and technology-led development within its Member States and across the Global South. Having partnered in both the 4th African Symposium on Big Data, Analytics and Machine Intelligence (2025) and 5th African Symposium 2026, COMSATS remains committed to supporting regional scientific platforms that facilitate knowledge exchange, foster interdisciplinary research, and promote the application of emerging technologies to achieve the goal of Sustainable Development.

The symposium concluded with renewed commitments by participating institutions to strengthen international cooperation, expand collaborative research, promote innovation ecosystems, and translate advances in Artificial Intelligence and data science into practical solutions for sustainable and inclusive development across Africa and the wider Global South.