AfDB Launches Free AI Training for African Officials

In Short

• The African Development Bank Group has launched a free AI training programme for public officials across Africa.
• Partners include UNDP’s AI Hub for Sustainable Development, Google, and Apolitical.
• The courses cover AI basics, leadership in government, and public procurement.

What Happened

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has launched free AI training for African public officials, working with UNDP’s AI Hub for Sustainable Development, Google and Apolitical. The programme was announced on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The training sits under Apolitical’s Government AI Campus. It offers courses such as “AI Fundamentals for Public Servants” and “AI Leadership in Government”. There is also a module on “Smarter Procurement with AI”, which focuses on buying technology responsibly in the public sector.

The curriculum was developed with Stanford University Online and SDA Bocconi School of Management. Google and Apolitical are providing the learning platform and course content.

AfDB says the move is linked to its report, “Africa’s AI Productivity Gain: Pathways to Labour Efficiency, Economic Growth and Inclusive Transformation”. That report estimates that broad, inclusive AI deployment could add up to $1 trillion to Africa’s GDP by 2035, if key enablers like skills and trusted governance are in place.

Why It Matters

Governments are already under pressure to make decisions on AI, from using chatbots in citizen services to applying machine learning (software that finds patterns in data) in fraud checks and tax enforcement. Many public agencies still lack basic AI literacy, which increases the risk of bad procurement, weak oversight, and low-impact pilots.

Training public officials can improve how African governments set rules, manage risks, and choose vendors. It can also reduce the gap between policy goals and technical reality, which is often where digital government projects fail.

For startups and enterprise tech vendors, more informed buyers in government can lead to clearer tenders, better evaluation criteria, and more realistic implementation plans.