Google Invests $5.8 Million In AI In Africa

Google has announced a $5.8 million funding to support foundational AI and cybersecurity training this year across Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa.

The funding will support organizations providing foundational AI skills to workers, equipping them for the digital economy; educate teenagers about AI and its safe and ethical use, empowering future generations; equip non-profit leaders with AI knowledge to enhance their impact and drive social change; and support the public sector to develop and utilize AI solutions.

The recipients include Data Scientists Network Foundation who will be provided with a $1.5 million grant to create a program that trains the unemployed and at risk Nigerians in foundational digital and tech training. The other recipient is Nelson Mandela Universities and other universities which will participate in the Google(dot)org Cybersecurity Seminars program, which includes $500,000 in grant support alongside course content and extensive training.

Raspberry Pi Foundation are also recipients of this funding as they will provide $300,000 to Young Scientists Kenya and Data Scientists Network Foundation to roll out AI literacy education for Kenyan and Nigerian youth.

The announcement came as part of the visit of Matt Brittin, the President of Google in EMEA, to Kenya and Nigeria. Speaking from Nairobi, he said that AI could contribute $30 billion to the economy of Sub-Saharan Africa.

“AI could contribute $30 billion to the economy of sub-saharan Africa. But for this to be a meaningful change, everyone needs to be included. The $5.8 million announced today will help bring people, businesses and nonprofits along to take part in harnessing technology for good,” Brittin noted.

Google.org also provided funding to help organizations supporting local businesses, nonprofits and entrepreneurs. Through the Google AI Impact Challenge, Google.org funded the AirQo project – which uses AI to measure and tackle air pollution across Africa. Meanwhile Google.org is supporting Jacaranda Health, through a $1.4 million grant and fellowship, to advance PROMPTS – their AI-enabled support tool which provides personalized SMS advice to new and expecting mothers across Kenya.

This new funding builds on the $20 million of Google.org support for organizations helping Africans develop digital skills from Google’s economic opportunity initiative. In addition, Grow with Google, which is separate from Google.org, trained over 6.5 million people across Africa in 2023 alone in digital skills to help them build their career or business.

Speaking on his part, Alex Okosi, the Managing Director of Google Afrixa talked of the journey the company has experienced since opening its first office in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2007.

“We’ve been a partner in Africa’s economic and digital transformation: working hand in hand with governments, policymakers, educational bodies and entrepreneurs. Digital skilling and access has been a key part of that work. We’ve enabled hundreds of millions of Africans to access the internet for the first time and empowered millions of businesses and creators with digital tools. Many of them are young, entrepreneurial and creative – ready to drive new innovation and opportunity across the region,” Okosi said.

In 2018, Google opened an AI Research Centre in Accra, Ghana – and in 2022, it announced a Product Development Center in Nairobi, Kenya. In both offices, teams use the power of AI to solve problems across the continent and around the world.