Artificial Intelligence and Refugee Education in Africa: A Scoping Review of Adaptive Learning, Digital Inclusion, and Educational Continuity

ABSTRACTPurpose – This study maps how artificial intelligence (AI) is applied, discussed, and theorised in refugee education across Africa, with particular attention to adaptive learning, multilingual communication, digital inclusion, educational continuity, and ethical governance. It addresses the limited empirical evidence connecting AI-enabled education directly with African refugee contexts.Methodology – A scoping review was conducted using PRISMA-ScR and the Population–Concept–Context framework. The search covered eight academic databases and selected grey-literature sources. Of 3,847 records identified, 2,644 were screened, 353 underwent full-text assessment, and 46 sources were included in the final thematic synthesis.Findings – The evidence clustered around four themes: adaptive learning and educational continuity; multilingual AI and communication; digital inclusion and infrastructural inequality; and ethical governance. However, no included study provided direct empirical evidence evaluating genuinely AI-enabled systems specifically with refugee learners in Africa. Much of the evidence remains adjacent, and several initiatives described as AI-supported are more accurately characterised as digital learning platforms.Limitations – The review did not formally appraise source quality, and non-English and country-specific evidence may be underrepresented. The limited number of refugee-led, Africa-centred, and longitudinal studies constrains claims about effectiveness.Originality – The study clarifies the boundary between AI-enabled and broader digital education and positions AI-supported refugee education as a rights-sensitive socio-technical intervention requiring infrastructure, multilingual design, teacher support, and accountable governance.