The AfDB and UNDP are mobilizing $10 billion to boost artificial intelligence in Africa
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According to a report by the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), an inclusive deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) across the continent could generate up to $1 trillion in additional GDP by 2035 equivalent to nearly one-third of Africa’s current economic output. To unlock this potential, strategic initiatives are being rolled out in collaboration with key partners.
On Monday, February 23, the AfDB Group, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), unveiled a new initiative aimed at mobilizing up to $10 billion to accelerate AI development in Africa.
Titled the “$10 Billion AI Initiative,” the program was presented in Nairobi during the Nairobi AI Forum 2026, a forum dedicated to exploring the prospects and opportunities offered by AI across the continent. The investment platform seeks to promote the responsible adoption of AI while fostering inclusive digital economic growth. Funding will be progressively mobilized through 2035 via a partnership framework bringing together development institutions, governments, and private sector stakeholders.
“As a leading multilateral development institution, the AfDB Group is leveraging its comparative advantage to ensure that Africa is not left behind in the AI era,” said Nicholas Williams, Head of the ICT Operations Division at the AfDB Group. “The $10 Billion AI Initiative paves the way for expanded partnerships and sustained investments that will accelerate AI entrepreneurship, strengthen data and infrastructure ecosystems, and support inclusive growth across the continent.”
In practical terms, the initiative forecasts investments in data infrastructure, computing capacity, technology start-up financing, and specialized talent development. It is anchored in a strategic roadmap defined by the AfDB, identifying five critical pillars for AI advancement: data, computing, skills, regulatory trust, and access to capital.
By 2035, partners estimate that these investments could help create up to 40 million jobs and generate as much as $1 trillion in additional GDP across Africa. A resource mobilization tour targeting governments and investors is now set to transform the announcement into concrete financial commitments, as the continent positions itself within the emerging global AI economy.
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