Google has announced a two-pronged effort to bolster digital inclusivity across Africa through a $5.8 million commitment to foundational AI and cybersecurity education, and an expansion of its African language capabilities in voice-enabled products. This marks an extension of Google’s ongoing involvement in fostering digital growth across the continent, targeting both skills development and language accessibility for the diverse African population.
$5.8 Million Investment Targets AI and Cybersecurity Skills in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa
As part of its latest initiative, Google.org has allocated $5.8 million to support AI and cybersecurity training across Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa. This investment, announced by Matt Brittin, Google’s President of Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) during his visit to Nairobi, aims to equip workers, students, nonprofit leaders, and public sector employees with skills crucial for participating in a digital economy increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.
The funding has been allocated as follows:
- Data Scientists Network Foundation in Nigeria will receive a $1.5 million grant to create a program focused on providing foundational digital and tech training, with the goal of building data and AI skills among unemployed and at-risk Nigerians.
- Nelson Mandela University and several other universities will receive $500,000 to deliver a hands-on cybersecurity curriculum to around 200 students. This program also includes support for 250 local organizations to strengthen their digital defenses.
- Raspberry Pi Foundation, with a $300,000 grant, will advance AI literacy education for young people in Kenya and Nigeria, aiming to create foundational AI skills among youth.
This latest funding adds to Google’s earlier $20 million support for African nonprofits working to develop digital skills. Additionally, Google’s “Grow with Google” program separately trained over 6.5 million individuals in digital skills across Africa in 2023 alone. Speaking on the initiative, Jen Carter, Head of Tech & Volunteering at Google.org, emphasized that AI has the potential to accelerate social impact initiatives. She stated, “The $5.8 million funding announced today will help organizations create AI tools that will benefit not only communities across Africa but across the globe.”
These efforts are part of Google’s broader commitment to Africa, where it opened its first Sub-Saharan office in 2007. In 2018, Google launched an AI research center in Accra, Ghana, followed by a Product Development Center in Nairobi in 2022. These centers work on creating regionally tailored AI applications, supporting Google’s mission to enable Africans to harness the benefits of the digital economy and build skills for the future.
Google Adds 15 African Languages to Voice Search, Gboard Talk-to-Type, and Translate
In tandem with its educational initiatives, Google has expanded support for African languages across Voice Search, Gboard’s talk-to-type feature, and Google Translate’s voice input. This enhancement, which adds 15 new African languages, aims to make digital communication accessible to an additional 300 million Africans who can now use these products in their native languages.
The newly supported languages include Chichewa, Hausa, Igbo, Kikuyu, Nigerian Pidgin, Oromo, Rundi, Shona, Somali, Tigrinya, Twi, and Yoruba, bringing the total number of African languages with voice support to 25. In Nigeria alone, four major languages—Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and Nigerian Pidgin—are now included, which represent roughly 60% of Nigeria’s population of over 218 million. In Kenya, Google has added Kikuyu alongside the previously supported Swahili.
The expansion has been made possible by advances in multilingual AI-driven speech recognition, which enables voice-to-text functionalities by training AI models on data from multiple languages. According to Alex Okosi, Managing Director of Google Africa, this language support is particularly important for inclusivity. “This technology will make a difference to over 300 million more people across the continent, enabling them to interact with the web using just their voice,” Okosi said.
Voice input on Google Translate, for example, now enables users to dictate in African languages and receive translations in other languages, facilitating seamless communication across linguistic divides. This voice-enabled accessibility is part of Google’s goal to support what Brittin described as “Sub-Saharan Africa’s digital decade,” during which over half of the continent’s population is expected to gain internet access for the first time.
Google’s Nairobi Product Development Center and Accra AI Research Center were instrumental in developing these capabilities, underscoring the company’s regional focus on building technology for Africans by Africans. By investing in language accessibility and digital skills, Google aims to bridge the digital divide, promoting an inclusive internet where linguistic diversity is supported.
Looking Ahead: Supporting Africa’s Digital Economy and Inclusivity Goals
Google’s investment in AI and cybersecurity skills, combined with its expanded language support, is part of its broader $1 billion commitment made in 2021 to advance digital transformation in Africa. This funding is intended to enable affordable internet access, support entrepreneurial growth, develop helpful products, and assist nonprofits. With this comprehensive approach, Google is positioning itself as a major partner in Africa’s digital evolution, working closely with governments, policymakers, educators, and entrepreneurs to build a sustainable digital ecosystem.
Since establishing a presence in Africa, Google has focused on providing resources to meet the unique needs of the continent’s fast-growing population. Through its African languages support and skill-building programs, Google aims to make technology more accessible and meaningful to the local context, empowering communities to leverage digital opportunities.
The combined efforts from these initiatives signify Google’s ongoing commitment to inclusivity, offering a range of solutions from educational support to product localization in African languages. As the continent’s internet usage grows, these investments could play a key role in shaping Africa’s digital future and helping more people connect to economic and educational opportunities in the digital age.
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