At the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) held in Yokohama, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced a sweeping initiative to train 30,000 AI professionals across Africa over the next three years. This effort is part of the broader “Japan-Africa Co-Creation for Industry” framework, which aims to deepen collaboration between Japanese companies and African startups, as well as strengthen human resource capacity in AI and data science.
The initiative is backed by a package of public-private support and expanded training programs through universities and practical technical training. Japan will also work with local institutions and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to ensure that those trained can move into jobs or launch their own ventures in AI-related fields.
For Nigeria specifically, this commitment adds to current national efforts: the Federal Government has already trained 200,000 Nigerians in AI and emerging technologies under various programs. Additionally, Enugu State has rolled out an annual program to train 40,000 youths with AI and digital skills.
The Japan initiative comes amid rising urgency to build local AI talent. Stakeholders note that few countries in Africa currently have enough trained AI scientists, engineers, or applied researchers, creating critical gaps in sectors like agriculture, health, fintech, and governance. By providing structured training, Japan hopes to help Africa move from being a technology consumer to a partner and innovator.
What this could mean in practice is broader access for African institutions to training resources, better infrastructure support, more internships and industry placements, and possibly higher calibre public-private collaborations. Realizing this will depend on implementation: ensuring access across urban/rural divides, affordable certification, linkages to local job markets, and maintaining quality of instruction. If done right, though, Africa could see a significant boost in its AI workforce capacity, innovation output, and global competitiveness by 2028.
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