The United Kingdom, together with key global partners, has announced a joint commitment of £80 million (approximately $100 million) to support artificial intelligence (AI) development in Sub-Saharan Africa. This investment is aimed at accelerating progress in some of the world’s most disadvantaged regions by leveraging AI to address inequality and foster sustainable development.
The initiative includes support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Canada, the United States, and several African stakeholders. AI has been identified as a powerful tool capable of addressing various critical issues, such as improving drug discovery, making education accessible for people with disabilities, and advancing clean energy solutions.
The announcement was made during the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire in 2023.
Focus Areas of the Collaboration
The UK and its partners will finance safe, ethical, and responsible AI initiatives specifically designed for development, with initial projects focused on the African continent. The plan includes:
- Strengthening Africa’s local AI talent and infrastructure, enabling the emergence of homegrown innovators.
- A £38 million contribution from the UK’s AI for Development Programme, with the remainder coming from global partners.
Five-Year Roadmap
Over the next five years, the UK and its international partners plan to:
- Fund postgraduate AI training and fellowships at universities across Africa.
- Support local innovators using regional talent and data to build models that accurately reflect African realities.
- Advance ethical AI governance and help African economies adapt to the changing digital landscape.
- Empower Sub-Saharan African countries to take a leadership role in shaping AI applications toward achieving the UN SDGs.
Dr. Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, also commented:
“AI gives us a unique chance to quickly harness knowledge to solve socio-economic challenges. Through partnerships, we can build capacity, invest in local datasets, and support innovation across Africa , including research in Nigeria and scaling in Kenya, to drive progress toward the SDGs.”
This collective effort reflects a strategic move to ensure Africa is not only a beneficiary of global AI advancements but also a significant contributor to its development and governance.
