The next decade is set to be Africa’s digital decade – with emerging technologies like AI and the Cloud set to significantly accelerate the continent’s development, and over half the population accessing the Internet for the first time.

Simply, AI presents an opportunity too significant to ignore for Africa.

Google is proud to be at the forefront of this transformation, but we’re prouder still of those driving this change. Across the region, African entrepreneurs, nonprofits and organisations are using innovation to solve complex challenges.

Earlier this week I visited Jacaranda Health in Nairobi, who are working to reduce Kenya’s high maternal death rate by using AI to ensure expectant and new moms get the care and information they need. Then there was AirQo, tackling the huge public health problem that is pollution by using AI to track and predict pollution – including in Lagos city.

And in the past few days, I’ve been fortunate enough to explore Nigeria with our Nigerian-born Head of Google Africa, Alex Okosi, and our wonderful local team of Nigerian experts.

We’ve had inspiring conversations with business leaders already at the forefront of their industries and explored how to leverage the power of AI to scale their businesses. We also engaged with startups like Towntalk, Farmspeak, and BetaLife, who are using AI to solve some of Nigeria’s biggest challenges.

But AI’s opportunity can only be realised when everyone is included. This week, to help unlock the benefits of the digital economy to everyone, our Speech team in partnership with Google researchers in Accra, launched Voice Search, talk-to-type and voice input on Translate for 15 more African languages – enabling 300 million more Africans the freedom to interact with the web and communicate with their friends and family in the way that comes most naturally to many people: their voice.

This includes Nigerian native languages Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and Nigerian Pidgin, and is another great example of AI built with Africans for Africans.

We believe AI has a pivotal role to play in developing Nigeria’s tech ecosystem. For Africa to fulfil its potential as an AI leader, we need to invest in the skills and knowledge base of local talent. That’s why we’ve backed several initiatives to boost AI skills among developers, individuals and businesses in Nigeria and beyond.

Our Google Career Certificates are enabling Nigerians to develop work-readiness in skills like AI, cybersecurity, digital marketing and programming languages like Python and SQL.

Meanwhile, skills-based initiatives like our Hustle Academy provide AI-focused training for small and medium-sized businesses in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.

And this week, we’ve announced an additional $5.8 million in funding to support foundational AI and cybersecurity training across these countries.

That includes $1.5 million for Data Science Nigeria, who will train unemployed and at risk Nigerians in foundational digital and technology – while Raspberry Pi will also work with Data Science Nigeria to roll out AI literacy for Kenyan and Nigerian youth.

To further inspire the next generation, we are launching a program to train 25,000 educators, equipping them with the knowledge and resources to bring AI education to 125,000 students across Nigeria.

By fostering an understanding of AI’s potential among young people, we can inspire them toward sustainable future jobs and empower them to shape a better future for themselves and their communities.

This progress is underpinned by infrastructure. In late 2022, our Equiano subsea fibre-optic cable launched in Lagos – providing a new generation of Nigerians with greater connectivity to expand their horizons.

Technology alone is not the answer to everything, but it can provide the foundation that enables the next generation of African businesses to thrive. Ultimately, technology is the means by which we can improve lives.

If we measure this progress numerically, AI is a bet worth taking. For every $1 invested in Sub-Saharan Africa’s digital economy, we can generate $2 in economic value by 2030. For some nations, like Nigeria, the growth will be even greater, with an $8 return for every $1 invested.

But beyond the numbers are the stories of the lives we can transform. For every student at the start of their journey, or the budding entrepreneur with a great idea, investment truly matters. We can empower individuals with the knowledge to understand the digital tools at their fingertips. And just as importantly, we can inspire a mindset shift – a renewed belief in the power of education and skills to shape a better future.

We’re proud to have seen this development up close. Our commitment to the digital transformation of the continent began in 2007 with the opening of our first office in Nairobi, Kenya, where we later announced the launch of our Product Development Center in 2022. And in 2018, we opened an AI research centre in Accra, Ghana, where our teams on the ground explore how AI can be used to solve problems in Africa and beyond.

Collaboration is key, and we’ve worked to foster partnerships and develop programmes with institutions and innovators across Africa. By enabling governments and businesses to integrate technologies like AI into the way they operate, we believe we can improve efficiency and bridge divides.

But this is not just a Google story – it’s a true African success story in the making. AI is not something to be imposed on Africa from the top-down, but rather, built from the bottom-up. It’s about collaboration, partnerships, and putting local entrepreneurial talent in the driving seat.

The task now is to ensure that all Africans benefit from these technological breakthroughs – and to use AI responsibly and equitably. Africa is no stranger to leveraging technology for the greater good. African innovators have pioneered technology like mobile money systems – starting with M-Pesa in Kenya – that have influenced financial inclusion and the way the world does business.

So there is nowhere better placed than Africa to ensure the future of AI is in good hands. And if we succeed, it’s not just Africa that will benefit – but the whole world.

[Featured Photo Credit]

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Tech giant, Microsoft, believes the possibility of actualizing this result and reiterated that AI will revolutionize the way businesses are done across the African continent.

The company explained that the revolution transcends mere technological advancement.

Microsoft added that AI marks a strategic turning point wherein it will be leveraged as a catalyst for sustainable growth and chart a course towards a future brimming with innovation and boundless opportunity for Africa.

Theo Watson, a commercial lawyer with Microsoft Africa, in his presentation, “AI Opportunity in Africa” at the African AI Journalists Academy via Microsoft Team, emphasized the opportunities AI could bring to Africa.

Watson said that of the USD$15.7 trillion AI could generate, USD$1.2 trillion could be generated in Africa.

He noted that the USD1.2 trillion represented a 5.6 per cent increase in the continent’s GDP by 2030.

Watson, however, emphasised the need for responsible regulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to accelerate its opportunities and reap its benefits.

According to him, as the world navigates this AI-powered future, our journey must be underpinned by responsible and sustainable innovation.

He said that this would ensure that the progress of AI in the nation remained aligned with human values and societal norms.

“Responsible and sustainable innovation will ensure that AI progress aligns with the needs that define Africa’s vastly diverse cultures.

“This involves a deep engagement with the continent’s unique challenges, recognising their complexity and prioritising those that AI can help solve.

“Also, collaborating with relevant stakeholders will be key to ensuring that AI solutions are not just technologically advanced but also culturally attuned and genuinely beneficial to Africa societies,’’ the Watson said.

In a recent whitepaper, Lilian Barnard, president, Microsoft Africa, argued that the continent already has the youngest population in the world, and will soon be home to one in five of the world’s consumers.

She argued that the ability to leverage such a powerful tool to help businesses understand and better cater to the unique needs of Africa’s burgeoning consumer base through data analytics could be game changing.

“It could also empower a young workforce with AI-driven educational tools, enhancing their skills and future employability. From agriculture to health care, AI is expected to enable faster and more profound progress in nearly every field of human endeavor and help address some of society’s most daunting challenges,” Barnard said.

During the session moderated by Ayanda Ngcebetsha, director:  Data and AI at Microsoft South Africa, the team stressed that collaborating with relevant stakeholders will be key to ensuring that AI solutions are not just technologically advanced but also culturally attuned and genuinely beneficial to African societies.

In her article contribution towards AI development in Africa, Akua Gyekye, Government Affairs Director, Microsoft Africa, said the world was changing and industries are transforming rapidly and drivers of economic growth are evolving.

Gyekye said that technology was addressing socioeconomic delivery issues, such as health, education, and agriculture among others, adding that the impact was real.

According to her, eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality in South Africa is leveraging AI to reduce water wastage and provide innovative water and sanitation service to its growing population.

“Farmers in Nigeria and Kenya are getting customised advice on farming based on AI, advice on soil and weather data”, Gyekye added.

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