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Google has announced a comprehensive USD 37 million initiative to bolster artificial intelligence (AI) development across Africa. This funding, partly previously committed but unannounced, will support research, talent development, and infrastructure aimed at fostering innovation and inclusivity across the continent.
A major component is the AI Collaborative for Food Security, a multi-partner initiative backed by $25 million from Google.org. This program will unite researchers and nonprofits to co-create AI tools for early hunger prediction, enhancing crop resilience, and delivering tailored support to smallholder farmers. The goal is to build food systems that are more adaptive, equitable, and resilient in the face of climate and economic challenges.
To advance linguistic inclusion, Google is providing USD 3 million to the Masakhane Research Foundation, an open collective focused on developing AI for over 40 African languages. The funding will be used to create high-quality datasets, improve machine translation, and build speech technologies—expanding digital access for millions of native-language speakers.
Google is launching a catalytic funding platform to support more than 100 AI-driven startups across sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and education. Combining philanthropic funding, venture capital, and technical expertise, this initiative will offer mentorship, tools, and guidance to help early-stage ventures responsibly scale impactful AI solutions.
To nurture Africa’s growing AI talent, Google is establishing the AI Community Center in Accra, the first dedicated hub of its kind on the continent. The center will host training, workshops, and community events focused on four key areas: AI literacy, community technology, social impact, and arts and culture. It aims to provide a collaborative space for students, developers, and creators to engage with AI through a distinctly African lens.
In Ghana, Google is also offering 100,000 fully funded Google Career Certificate scholarships for university students. The courses—delivered at learners’ own pace—will cover AI and Prompting Essentials, as well as high-demand fields like IT support, data analytics, and cybersecurity, helping students build job-ready skills for the digital economy.
Beyond Ghana, Google.org is committing USD 7 million to support AI education initiatives in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Ghana. The funding will assist nonprofits and academic institutions in developing localized AI curricula, promoting online safety, and strengthening cybersecurity training.
Two additional USD 1 million research grants are being awarded to leading academic institutions:
- The African Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AfriDSAI) at the University of Pretoria, to support applied AI research and training.
- The Wits Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery (MIND) Institute in South Africa, to fund MSc and PhD students pursuing foundational AI research.
James Manyika, Google’s Senior Vice President for Research, Labs, and Technology & Society, emphasized Africa’s pivotal role in shaping the future of AI: “Africa is home to some of the most important and inspiring work in AI today. We are committed to supporting the next wave of innovation through long-term investment, local partnerships, and platforms that help researchers and entrepreneurs build solutions that matter. This new wave of support reflects our belief in the talent, creativity, and ingenuity across the continent. By building with local communities and institutions, we’re supporting solutions rooted in Africa’s realities and built for global impact.”
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These initiatives build on Google’s prior efforts in Africa, including AI-powered maternal health dashboards in Ghana and Nigeria, wildfire detection tools in East Africa, and regional language models developed by teams in Accra and Nairobi. The overarching mission remains clear: to promote open research, shared infrastructure, and inclusive innovation—ensuring AI works for everyone.
