• AfDB and UNDP aim to mobilize up to $10 billion for AI development by 2035.

• Funds will target data infrastructure, computing capacity, start-ups and skills training.

• Initiative projects up to 40 million jobs and $1 trillion in economic gains.

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB), in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), on February 23 unveiled an initiative to mobilize up to $10 billion to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence (AI) across Africa.

The “$10 Billion AI Initiative” was presented in Nairobi during the Nairobi AI Forum 2026, which focused on the opportunities and outlook for AI on the continent. The investment platform aims to support responsible AI adoption while promoting inclusive digital economic growth. Funding will be gradually mobilized through 2035 through partnerships involving development institutions, governments and private-sector actors.

“As a leading multilateral development institution, the Bank is leveraging its comparative advantage to ensure Africa is not left behind in the AI era,” said Nicholas Williams, head of the Bank’s ICT Operations Division. “The AI 10 Billion Initiative paves the way for expanded partnerships and sustained investment that will accelerate AI entrepreneurship, strengthen data and infrastructure ecosystems, and support inclusive growth across the continent.”

The initiative will invest in data infrastructure, computing capacity, technology start-ups and specialized talent development. It is based on a roadmap defined by the AfDB that identifies five key drivers for AI growth: data, computing power, skills, regulatory trust and access to capital.

By 2035, partners estimate the initiative could help create up to 40 million jobs and generate $1 trillion in economic gains for Africa’s GDP, according to the AfDB. A resource mobilization campaign targeting governments and investors is expected to follow, as Africa seeks to position itself in the emerging global AI economy.

Adoni Conrad Quenum