The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have unveiled an ambitious plan AI 10 Billion Initiativeaims to organize up to $10 billion by 2035 To accelerate the adoption and unlocking of responsible artificial intelligence 40 million new jobs across Africa.
Historic announcement made in Nairobi AI Forum 2026Held in Kenya on 9-10 February, where governments, technology leaders, investors and development partners gathered to map out Africa's AI future.
A continental bet on AI-based development
The AI 10 Billion Initiative is a co-designed partnership between AfDB, UNDP and private sector partners. It seeks to establish Africa as a global AI innovation hub while ensuring inclusive economic growth while driving digital transformation.
Key goals of the initiative include:
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to gather up to $10 billion in blended finance by 2035
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are supporting the creation of up to 40 million jobs
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Driving AI-powered productivity gains across sectors
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Entrepreneurship and expansion of digital infrastructure
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Strengthening governance, skills and ethical AI frameworks
Proponents say the initiative responds directly to discussions held at the Nairobi AI Forum, with an emphasis on building a built-in AI ecosystem Trust, local value creation, workforce preparation and sustainable development.
Building the foundation: data, calculations, skills, trust and capital
The initiative is guided by AfDB's key June 2025 report, Africa's AI productivity gains: pathways to labor efficiency, economic growth and inclusive transformation.
The report outlines a three-phase roadmap based on five key enablers:
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data – Developing interoperable, secure and accessible data ecosystems
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to calculate – Expansion of cloud infrastructure and regional data centers
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Skill – Upskilling the workforce and nurturing AI talent pipelines
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faith – Establishment of ethical governance and regulatory framework
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capital – Raising blended finance to drive innovation
The investment will support proof-of-concept projects through equity financing, debt instruments and resilience-focused funding structures, aimed at scaling African AI startups and strengthening digital infrastructure.
“As a leading multilateral development institution, the Bank is leveraging its comparative advantage to ensure Africa is not left behind in the AI age,” said Nicholas Williams, AfDB's ICT Operations Division Manager.
“The AI 10 Billion Initiative paves the way for expanded partnerships and sustained investment that will accelerate AI entrepreneurship, strengthen the data and infrastructure ecosystem, and support inclusive growth across the continent.”
Unlocking the $1 Trillion Opportunity
AfDB estimates that strategic AI adoption could unlock Additional GDP for Africa up to $1 trillion by 2035Driven by productivity, labor efficiency and profits in new digital industries.
The initiative targets areas where AI can have a transformative impact, including:
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Agriculture and Food Systems
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Health care and diagnosis
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financial inclusion
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Climate Resilience and Disaster Forecasting
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public service delivery
Jean-Luc Stallon, UNDP Resident Representative in Kenya, said UNDP will play a key role in shaping practical, private sector-driven partnerships to transform AI potential into measurable development benefits.
He stressed the importance of ensuring that AI adoption creates jobs and especially improves livelihoods youth and womenWho make up a significant portion of Africa's growing labor force.
High-level support and global partnerships
The initiative was announced during a high-level panel that included representatives from governments Italy and KenyaThe European UnionUNDP and AfDB – indicating broad international support.
Over the next 10 months, AfDB will launch work across the continent and globally road show Engaging governments, development partners and private investors to formalize partnerships and secure financing commitments.
Responsible AI at the core
A central theme of the Nairobi AI Forum was based on the need to adopt AI Ethics, transparency and local ownershipAmidst the growing global debate on regulation and digital sovereignty.
The AI 10 Billion initiative aims to ensure that Africa not only consumes imported AI technologies but also actively shapes, develops and controls them.
Combining capital mobilization, policy support, infrastructure investment and skills development, the Partnership seeks to accelerate Africa's digital transformation while incorporating safeguards against exclusion and technological dependency.
If successfully implemented, this initiative could be one of the largest coordinated AI investment campaigns in the Global South – placing Africa at the forefront of inclusive and responsible AI development over the next decade.