Free AI Training Opens Doors for African Public Officials to Build Smarter Services

Participants will study through Apolitical’s Government AI Campus, with access to courses covering the foundations of AI, leadership and procurement.

Public officials across Africa are being offered free training to better understand artificial intelligence and explore how it can support their daily work, from delivering public services to making procurement decisions. The African Development Bank Group has launched the programme with the UNDP AI Hub for Sustainable Development, Google and Apolitical, bringing together development institutions, technology expertise and government learning resources. Announced on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the initiative responds to the need for public servants to understand both the opportunities AI presents and the responsibilities that come with using it.

Giving Public Servants Practical AI Skills

Participants will study through Apolitical's Government AI Campus, with access to courses covering the foundations of AI, leadership and procurement. The courses include 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. Developed by Stanford University Online and SDA Bocconi School of Management, the training brings attention to the decisions government teams face as they introduce new technology, including how to build staff capabilities, maintain trust and encourage innovation. Google and Apolitical are providing the learning platform and content.

Ousmane Fall, the Bank Group's Director for Industrial and Trade Development, said the benefits of AI depend on people understanding how to apply it, describing government training as an area that has received insufficient attention. "AI is changing how we work. It promises major productivity gains if users fully understand its application," he said. His remarks point to a practical concern behind the programme: access to technology needs to be supported by the knowledge required to use it effectively, particularly in institutions responsible for services that people rely on.

Turning Africa's AI Potential Into Public Sector Capability

The training is the first step towards implementing recommendations from the Bank Group's 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, identifying skills and trusted governance among five enablers needed to realise those gains. The projection describes a potential outcome dependent on how AI is introduced and supported, giving the training a place within a broader effort to connect technological adoption with economic growth and inclusive development.

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, aligned with Italy's Mattei Plan for Africa. The African Development Bank Group is a founding member of the Hub's Executive Steering Group, linking this training partnership to its wider involvement in AI cooperation. Keyzom Ngodup Massally, Director of the Hub and UNDP Head of Digital & AI Programmes, said African governments need timely support to strengthen the institutional and technical foundations required to participate meaningfully in the evolving AI economy.

Free, Flexible Learning for Eligible Government Officials

Learning is self-paced, giving participants flexibility to work through the courses around their professional responsibilities. Enrolment is open and free for serving government officials and public servants in the African Development Bank's regional member countries who work on AI in public service delivery, digital infrastructure, public-private partnerships or innovation. Eligible applicants can register through the application form, with the programme offering a starting point for officials who need a stronger understanding of AI's uses, risks and implications for government.