By: ThinkBusiness Africa
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have officially launched the AI 10 Billion Initiative, a landmark continental drive designed to transform Africa from a consumer of technology into a global leader in responsible Artificial Intelligence.
According to a press statement from AfDB on Monday, the initiative was launched during the Nairobi AI Forum 2026, where government leaders, tech innovators, and private sector giants gathered to chart a course for Africa’s digital sovereignty.
The initiative is a response to the AfDB’s June 2025 flagship report, which projected that AI could add $1 trillion to Africa’s GDP by 2035. To capture this value, the new partnership aims to mobilize $10 billion in blended finance over the next decade.
The program focuses on high-impact sectors where AI can bridge traditional development gaps:
- Targeting the creation of 40 to 45 million new jobs by 2035, specifically for youth and women.
- Using AI and geospatial data to improve crop mapping and climate-risk alerts.
- Scaling AI-driven fintech to reach the unbanked. And investing in “Data Embassies” and regional compute nodes to reduce reliance on foreign cloud providers.
As an immediate outcome of the forum, the initiative has already committed to providing 1.5 million GPU hours to 130 African innovators. Additionally, a new Cybersecurity Readiness Initiative was launched in partnership with Cisco to ensure that Africa’s burgeoning digital infrastructure remains secure by design.
The AfDB and UNDP will now begin a multi-country roadshow to secure further commitments from G7 partners and private equity firms, aiming to turn the “Nairobi Momentum” into a permanent shift in the global tech landscape.
