AfDB and UNDP Move $10bn 'AI 10 Billion' Initiative From Launch to Delivery, Starting With Five Countries

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) are moving the AI 10 Billion Initiative from launch into implementation, following a UNDP delegation visit to the Bank. The initiative was first launched at the Nairobi AI Forum in 2026.

The partners plan to start in five African countries and expand to 20 by the end of 2027. The five initial countries have not been named. Governments, development finance institutions, private investors and philanthropic organisations are invited to join.

The target is to mobilise about US$1 billion a year for ten years, or US$10 billion in total. On jobs, the coverage cites 25 million new jobs by 2035, while AfDB material cites 35 to 40 million; the discrepancy has not been explained. The underlying 2025 report projects that AI adoption could add US$1 trillion to African GDP by 2035.