In a significant move to equip Africa’s public sector for the AI era, the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), in partnership with the UNDP AI Hub for Sustainable Development, Google, and Apolitical, launched a free artificial intelligence training programme for government officials and public servants across the continent.
The initiative was unveiled on the 25th day of September 2026 on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81) in New York.
The programme is delivered through Apolitical’s Government AI Campus and offers self-paced online courses designed specifically for public-sector needs. Key courses include:
– AI Fundamentals for Public Servants: Opportunities, Risks and Strategies
- AI Leadership in Government: Building Trust, Skills and an Innovative Culture
- Smarter Procurement with AI
Content was developed by Stanford University Online and SDA Bocconi School of Management, with Google and Apolitical providing the learning platform and delivery.
The AI Hub for Sustainable Development is a G7-endorsed initiative co-led by UNDP and Italy’s Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, and which aligns with the Italy’s Mattei Plan for Africa. The African Development Bank Group is a founding member of the AI Hub’s Executive Steering Group.
“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.”
– Ousmane Fall, Director for Industrial and Trade Development, African Development Bank Group
The training is the first step in putting into practice the recommendations from a Bank Group report, Africa’s AI Productivity Gain: Pathways to Labour Efficiency, Economic Growth and Inclusive Transformation, which projected that inclusive AI deployment could add up to $1 trillion to Africa’s gross domestic product by 2035, and identified skills and trusted governance among the five enablers needed to realise those gains.
“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.”
– Keyzom Ngodup Massally, Director, AI Hub for Sustainable Development and Head of Digital & AI Programmes, UNDP
Learning on the platform is self-paced. Enrolment is open and free of charge to serving government officials and public servants in the Bank’s regional member countries who are working on AI in public service delivery, digital infrastructure, public-private partnerships or innovation.
Africa stands at a pivotal moment in the global AI race. An AfDB report, Africa’s AI Productivity Gain: Pathways to Labour Efficiency, Economic Growth and Inclusive Transformation (released in 2025 under the G20 Digital Transformation Working Group), projects that inclusive AI deployment could add up to US$1 trillion to the continent’s GDP by 2035—nearly one-third of current economic output. The report identifies five critical enablers: data, compute, skills, trust, and capital. Skills and trusted governance rank among the highest priorities.
Ousmane Fall, AfDB Director for Industrial and Trade Development, highlighted the urgency:
“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.”
Keyzom Ngodup Massally, Director of the AI Hub for Sustainable Development and UNDP Head of Digital & AI Programmes, added:
“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.”
The training sits within the AI Hub for Sustainable Development, a G7-endorsed initiative co-led by UNDP and Italy’s Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy. It aligns with Italy’s Mattei Plan for Africa. AfDB is a founding member of the Hub’s Executive Steering Group.
Apolitical’s Government AI Campus has already demonstrated scale and impact globally. By mid-2026 it had trained over 500,000 public servants across 163 countries, with 75% of surveyed participants reporting greater confidence in using AI tools. The platform operates in multiple languages and emphasises practical, government-specific applications rather than purely technical training.
Who Can Enrol and How?
Enrolment is free and open to serving government officials and public servants in AfDB’s regional member countries. Priority is given to those working on AI in public service delivery, digital infrastructure, public-private partnerships, or innovation. Learning is fully self-paced, allowing participants to fit courses around official duties. Most individual courses take roughly 2–3 hours.
Apolitical’s Government AI Campus platform handles the AI Training program. The application form can be accessed using the Link provided 👉 Here
By focusing on public servants—the people who design policy, procure technology, deliver services, and regulate AI, the programme addresses a critical bottleneck. Without skilled and trusted public institutions, the projected $1 trillion AI dividend risks remaining theoretical. The courses cover not only technical literacy but also leadership, risk management, ethics, trust-building, and practical use cases such as smarter procurement, areas where governments can achieve quick efficiency gains and improve accountability.
This launch represents an early, concrete step in the “ignition” phase (2025–2027) of the AfDB’s recommended three-phase AI readiness roadmap. Success will depend on sustained uptake, complementary investments in data infrastructure and compute, and the translation of individual learning into institutional change.
For African governments seeking to harness AI for better public services, economic transformation, and inclusive growth, the free training hub offers an accessible starting point. Eligible public servants are encouraged to enrol promptly while the momentum from UNGA81 is high.
The partnership between a leading African development finance institution, a major UN agency, a global technology company, and a specialised public-sector learning platform signals a coordinated international effort to ensure Africa is not left behind in the AI revolution and is well positioned to shape it.
