The initiative aims to generate up to 40 million new jobs across Africa by 2035.Photo ; Courtesy
The African Development Bank Group and the United Nations Development Programme have launched an ambitious continental initiative aimed at accelerating responsible artificial intelligence adoption and driving inclusive digital growth across Africa.
Dubbed the AI 10 Billion Initiative, the programme seeks to mobilise up to $10 billion by 2035 to support AI-driven innovation, infrastructure, and skills development across the continent.
The announcement was made during the Nairobi AI Forum 2026, held on 9–10 February in Kenya’s capital, which brought together government officials, private sector leaders, development partners, and technology innovators to map out Africa’s AI future.
The initiative is a co-designed partnership between the Bank Group, UNDP, and private sector partners.
It aims to unlock up to 40 million new jobs by 2035 through targeted investments that build the foundations for AI readiness while encouraging broad adoption across industries.
Building the Foundations for AI
According to the Bank, investments will focus on strengthening five core pillars considered essential for AI readiness: data, compute infrastructure, skills, trust, and capital.
These priorities are drawn from the Bank’s June 2025 report, Africa’s AI Productivity Gain: Pathways to Labour Efficiency, Economic Growth and Inclusive Transformation, which outlines a three-phase roadmap for integrating AI into Africa’s economic systems.
The roadmap emphasises improving access to quality datasets, expanding computing capacity, developing AI-related skills, strengthening governance frameworks to build trust, and mobilising financing to scale innovation.
These themes featured prominently during discussions at the Nairobi forum, where participants highlighted the importance of ethical AI governance, interoperable data ecosystems, and workforce upskilling.
Investments under the initiative are expected to support proof-of-concept projects through a mix of equity and resilient debt financing, positioning Africa as a competitive hub for AI innovation while ensuring inclusion and sustainability.
“Africa Must Not Be Left Behind”
Speaking during a high-level panel that included representatives from the governments of Kenya and Italy, the European Union, UNDP and the Bank Group, Nicholas Williams, the Bank Group’s ICT Operations Division Manager, described the initiative as a strategic response to the global AI shift.
“As a leading multilateral development institution, the Bank is leveraging its comparative advantage to ensure Africa is not left behind in the AI era,” Williams said.
“The AI 10 Billion Initiative paves the way for expanded partnerships and sustained investment that will accelerate AI entrepreneurship, strengthen data and infrastructure ecosystems, and support inclusive growth across the continent.”
Jean-Luc Stalon, UNDP Resident Representative in Kenya, underscored the agency’s role in shaping partnerships that connect public policy with private innovation.
He noted that the initiative is designed to catalyse private sector-driven AI ecosystems capable of creating jobs and improving livelihoods across communities.
A $1 Trillion Opportunity
Beyond job creation, the Bank estimates that effective AI adoption could contribute up to $1 trillion to Africa’s GDP by 2035.
Officials say the initiative aligns with broader continental development priorities, including youth employment, women’s economic empowerment, and digital transformation.
The Nairobi AI Forum repeatedly stressed that AI adoption in Africa must be grounded in trust, local value creation, and sustainable development impact.
Participants warned that without deliberate investment in infrastructure and skills, the continent risks widening the digital divide.
To operationalise the initiative, the Bank Group plans to embark on a 10-month roadshow across African countries and key global capitals.
The engagement tour will seek to mobilise governments, private investors, development institutions and technology partners to co-invest in AI infrastructure and ecosystem development.
As global competition around artificial intelligence intensifies, African leaders are increasingly positioning the continent not merely as a consumer of AI technologies, but as an active innovator and contributor.
The AI 10 Billion Initiative signals a coordinated effort to translate that ambition into financing, policy reform and practical implementation.
For policymakers and entrepreneurs alike, the message from Nairobi was clear: Africa’s AI future will depend on strategic partnerships, sustained capital mobilisation, and deliberate investment in people.
