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Every Thursday, Delve Into AI brings you fresh perspectives on Africa’s evolving AI journey. The column explores how artificial intelligence is shaping — and being shaped by — culture, policy, and business across the continent. It’s your weekly guide to the people, projects, and big questions driving Africa’s AI future. We’d love to hear your feedback, so feel free to share your thoughts through this form.”
Africa’s AI market is projected to reach $16 billion within the next five years. Yet, the continent accounts for only 1% of the global AI talent pool, creating a widening skills gap as industries from agriculture to finance rush to adopt the technology.
At the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in August, Japan’s Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru announced an ambitious plan: to help train 30,000 AI professionals across Africa within the next three years. The pledge will be delivered through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the country’s development arm.
Why focus on talent?
Africa faces two major hurdles in the AI race: a shortage of infrastructure and a scarcity of skilled talent. While data centres, computing power, and reliable connectivity are crucial, experts stress that talent must come first. Without engineers, analysts, and researchers, even the best infrastructure risks being underutilized.
Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, emphasized: “We may not have the compute and infrastructure, but we do have the talent.” JICA officials echo this view. “Without talent, we can’t create infrastructure, we can’t create strategy,” says Ryosuke Miyashita, Deputy Director for Digital Transformation at JICA.
Building Africa’s AI backbone
JICA’s strategy involves strengthening African universities, establishing regional research hubs, and fostering collaborations with Japanese firms through internships, academic exchanges, and joint projects. Training will not be limited to STEM students—non-STEM faculty and policymakers will also be included to spread AI literacy across sectors.
Still, risks remain. Without enough local industries to absorb graduates, Africa may face a brain drain, with its best-trained AI professionals moving abroad. JICA aims to mitigate this by encouraging partnerships with African institutions like AIMS, University of Nairobi, Stellenbosch University, and Mohammed VI Polytechnic, while also involving Japan’s leading AI labs to co-develop curricula.
Global competition for Africa’s AI space
Japan is not alone in Africa’s AI push. Countries like Germany, Canada, and the UK, along with organizations such as the Gates Foundation and Google, have also committed millions toward advancing AI on the continent. JICA now stresses the need for better coordination between all players to avoid duplicating efforts.
Ultimately, Japan hopes to position itself not only as a funder but as a co-creator of solutions. By aligning Japanese expertise with Africa’s demand-driven innovation, the partnership aims to turn the continent’s urgent needs into opportunities for global impact.
As Miyashita puts it: “Needs drive innovation. And Africa has no shortage of needs.”
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this column and what other AI-related stories in Africa you’d like us to cover! Share your views with Tech Info Africa today.
