Google.org has committed $1 million to the African Technology Forum to expand its flagship ATF AI Challenge and strengthen the continent’s artificial intelligence talent pipeline across four African countries. The 37-year-old institution shared the news in a statement, explaining that the funding will help train more than 10,000 university students and young professionals in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa over the next two years.
ATF said the programme directly tackles Africa’s widening AI skills gap by creating what it calls a complete pathway from learning to employment. The structure includes a free virtual AI school, a team-based AI challenge, and demo days where finalists showcase their ideas to investors and employers. The organisation believes this approach will equip young Africans with both technical skills and real-world opportunities.
ATF Co-founder Mawuli Tse said the organisation wants to build an inclusive system that moves young Africans from basic learning to real jobs in the AI sector. He described Africa’s human talent as its strongest asset and explained that the support from Google.org makes it possible to develop a generation that builds AI solutions rather than merely using them. Tse said the programme will guide 10,000 young innovators through a full journey—learning foundational AI skills, creating practical solutions for African challenges, and connecting directly with employers. He described the initiative as a direct investment in job creation and a catalyst for the continent’s next wave of innovation.
ATF, founded at MIT in 1988, decided to scale the programme after earlier pilots in Ghana and Nigeria produced 14 promising AI solutions, some with potential use in hospitals and public institutions. The expanded programme will focus on key development areas such as health, agriculture, education, and finance.
Head of Google.org, Liza Ateh, commended ATF’s vision and described the initiative as an important step in widening Africa’s AI ecosystem. She said Google.org is proud to support a strategy that centres on diversity, opportunity, and local problem-solving. Ateh noted that the programme gives young innovators practical, hands-on experience in building AI solutions for challenges within their communities while connecting them to real career and funding opportunities.
ATF also announced that it is looking for universities and corporate partners interested in joining the programme. The first cohort of the AI School is scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2026, marking a new phase in efforts to shape Africa’s future through homegrown AI talent.
