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Google has announced a new $37 million commitment to advance Africa’s AI ecosystem, with support spanning research, education, infrastructure, and entrepreneurship.
The investment, revealed during the launch of a new AI Community Center in Accra, Ghana, marks the company’s most comprehensive AI package for the continent to date.
The funding includes previously committed but unannounced contributions, reflecting Google’s growing belief in Africa’s ability to lead in AI-driven innovation.
“With a young, fast-growing population and a culture of creative problem-solving, Africa brings essential perspectives to a technology that is rapidly reshaping the world,” the company noted in a statement.
A Community Hub for Locally Led Innovation
At the core of this new phase is the AI Community Center in Accra, a space designed for collaboration among researchers, students, developers, artists, and civil society.
The center will host technical workshops, research exchanges, and community events to explore how AI can address African challenges and priorities.
The launch event was attended by Ghana’s Minister for Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovations, Honourable Sam Nartey George, signaling strong national support for the initiative.
Google says the center will serve as a hub for learning, experimentation, and interdisciplinary work, amplifying locally grounded research with global relevance.
Two major academic institutions, the African Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AfriDSAI) at the University of Pretoria and the Wits MIND Institute, will each receive $1 million in research funding.
These grants will support graduate students and postdoctoral researchers and help anchor long-term AI leadership within the continent.
AI for Food Security and Language Inclusion
A major part of the investment includes a $25 million grant from Google.org to fund the AI Collaborative: Food Security.
The initiative supports African researchers and nonprofits building AI tools that improve hunger forecasting, strengthen crop resilience, and provide real-time support to smallholder farmers.
Google emphasized that “impactful research starts with the communities it seeks to serve,” and this effort reflects that approach, aiming to use AI in ways that are immediately useful for communities on the frontlines of climate and food insecurity.
In addition, Google is supporting the Masakhane African Languages AI Hub with $3 million to scale up open-source tools and models across over 40 African languages.
The initiative will create datasets, translation models, and voice technologies that help ensure African languages are represented in the digital and AI space.
Digital Skills and Career Pathways
Building on its Grow with Google initiative, which has already trained more than 6.5 million Africans, Google is adding $7 million to support AI education and safety programs in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.
These efforts will focus on AI training, cybersecurity, and digital literacy, delivered in partnership with academic and nonprofit organizations.
In Ghana, Google is also rolling out 100,000 fully funded Google Career Certificate scholarships for university students.
Courses include AI Essentials, Prompting Essentials, IT Support, Data Analytics, and Cybersecurity.
The aim is to equip more learners with practical skills to enter and thrive in AI-related careers.
Startups and the Future of African AI
Africa’s startup ecosystem is another key area of focus.
Google is launching a catalytic fund to support more than 100 AI-driven startups working on challenges in agriculture, health, education, and more.
This initiative combines philanthropic capital, venture investment, and technical mentorship to help founders scale locally relevant AI applications.
The announcement builds on earlier support through programs like Google for Startups Accelerator Africa, which has backed numerous successful ventures.
According to Google, this new wave of investment is driven by the “continent’s growing AI momentum” and belief in African talent’s capacity to shape global technology.
The company’s research teams in Kenya and Ghana continue to play leading roles in AI innovation, from inclusive language tools to climate-informed models.
“We’re excited to continue supporting Africa’s AI journey and to work alongside the researchers, developers, educators, and entrepreneurs who are building what comes next,” the company stated.
ABOUT GOOGLE IN AFRICA
Google has operated in Africa for over two decades, with physical offices in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana.
Through its philanthropic arm, Google.org, the company funds nonprofits and research institutions addressing key development challenges.
Its latest AI investments build on past work in connectivity, digital skills training, and startup acceleration, and reinforce a growing commitment to ensuring Africa is a full participant in shaping the future of technology.
