Africa: African Development Bank and UNDP Advance Ai 10 Billion Initiative to Turn Africa's Ai Potential Into Productivity

What the report says

The African Development Bank Group and the UN Development Programme are advancing the AI 10 Billion Initiative, a partnership aimed at moving the program from launch into implementation. According to the bank’s account, the push was reinforced by a UNDP delegation visit to the AfDB, with the two institutions working alongside private-sector partners to coordinate support for artificial intelligence projects across Africa.

The initiative was first launched at the Nairobi AI Forum in February 2026 and is linked to wider digital infrastructure work, including the Africa Accelerator for Digital Public Infrastructure. AfDB says the program is designed to align public and private capital around AI-related productivity gains, with emphasis on the resources AI needs, such as energy, data and skills. The delegation was led by Keyzom Ngodup Massally, who heads UNDP’s AI Hub for Sustainable Development, along with UNDP’s Platform for Investment and Technical Assistance.

AfDB said the effort will begin in five countries and expand to 20 by the end of 2027. The bank described a three-step approach: identifying productivity opportunities in each country, preparing projects for financing, and convening an investment platform that brings governments, investors and regional bodies together. The bank also cited its 2025 report, Africa’s AI Productivity Gain, which projected that inclusive AI adoption could significantly raise output and support job creation. More broadly, the initiative reflects growing interest in whether AI can improve productivity in sectors such as agriculture, trade, manufacturing, finance and health across the continent.