UNGA81: AfDB, partners launch free AI training for African public officials

Africa, Innovation & Technology, Technology

NEW YORK, United States (NPA) — The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, in partnership with the UNDP AI Hub for Sustainable Development, Google and Apolitical, has launched a free training programme to help public officials across Africa understand and apply artificial intelligence (AI) in their work.

The programme was launched on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Under Apolitical’s Government AI Campus initiative, participants will have access to courses including “AI Fundamentals for Public Servants: Opportunities, Risks and Strategies,” “AI Leadership in Government: Building Trust, Skills and an Innovative Culture,” and “Smarter Procurement with AI.”

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The training courses were developed by Stanford University Online and SDA Bocconi School of Management, while Google and Apolitical are providing the learning platform and content.

The AI Hub for Sustainable Development is a G7-endorsed initiative co-led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Italy’s Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy. It also aligns with Italy’s Mattei Plan for Africa.

The African Development Bank Group is a founding member of the AI Hub’s Executive Steering Group.

AfDB Director for Industrial and Trade Development, Ousmane Fall, said the partnership would help address the need for stronger understanding of AI applications within government.

“AI is changing how we work. It promises major productivity gains if users fully understand its application. Building that understanding in government has been neglected and this partnership helps us put that right,” Fall said.

The training is the first step towards implementing recommendations from an AfDB report, “Africa’s AI Productivity Gain: Pathways to Labour Efficiency, Economic Growth and Inclusive Transformation.”

The report projected that inclusive AI deployment could add up to $1 trillion to Africa’s gross domestic product by 2035, while identifying skills and trusted governance among five key enablers needed to realise those gains.

Director of the AI Hub for Sustainable Development and UNDP Head of Digital and AI Programmes, Keyzom Ngodup Massally, said African governments needed timely support to strengthen their institutional and technical capacity to participate in the AI economy.

“As the AI landscape continues to evolve, governments across Africa need timely support to strengthen the institutional and technical foundations required to participate meaningfully in the AI economy,” Massally said.

The training is self-paced, with enrolment open and free of charge to serving government officials and public servants in the African Development Bank’s regional member countries.

The programme is targeted at officials working on AI in public service delivery, digital infrastructure, public-private partnerships and innovation.