Hi Ayodele here,

Across the continent, new initiatives are reinforcing Africa’s place in the global AI conversation. From Djibouti training education leaders to integrate AI in schools, to Côte d’Ivoire investing in sovereign cloud systems, to OpenAI launching its first academy in Lagos, the focus is clear: building local capacity and long-term independence.

This edition highlights how Africa’s AI journey is expanding through education, infrastructure, and inclusion, ensuring that innovation grows from within and reflects the continent’s unique priorities.

Let us get into it. In this edition:

• OpenAI Expands Its Footprint in Africa with Two Major Announcements

• Djibouti Trains Education Inspectors in AI Skills

• Cote d’Ivoire Moves to Build Sovereign AI Infrastructure

Around Africa

Djibouti Trains Education Inspectors in AI Skills

Djibouti has launched a training program for education inspectors aimed at integrating artificial intelligence into school management and supervision operations. The program will run from October 2025 to January 2026 under the 2025–2026 Continuous Training Plan, involving modules on ethics, data use, and practical AI tool application.

The Ministry of Education partnered with the University of Djibouti and the International Organization of La Francophonie to deliver the initiative. Inspectors will be taught how AI can support teacher training, administrative tasks, and policy planning. Given only 40% of primary and 50% of lower secondary schools had internet access in 2024, this scheme addresses critical infrastructure gaps. The goal is to strengthen decision-making capacity across the educational system.

Why it matters: Equipping inspectors with AI skills helps bridge the digital divide in Djibouti’s schools and embeds more tech-aware leadership into education oversight.

Cote d’Ivoire Moves to Build Sovereign AI Infrastructure

INP-HB (Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny) and tech firm Stellenium signed an MoU to drive AI infrastructure development in Côte d’Ivoire. The partnership seeks to build sovereign cloud and data systems that reduce reliance on foreign tech providers.

It will also include training programs in AI governance, data science, and systems engineering for local talent. The initiative is part of a broader push to make Côte d’Ivoire a regional technology and innovation hub. Both institutions will coordinate with ministries and stakeholders to align infrastructure deployment with national goals. The collaboration underscores a national vision for data sovereignty and local innovation ecosystems.

Why it matters: This push toward sovereign infrastructure empowers Côte d’Ivoire to control its digital destiny, nurture domestic AI capacity, and support sustainable growth in critical sectors like health, education, and finance.

OpenAI Expands Its Footprint in Africa with Two Major Announcements

OpenAI is marking a new chapter for AI development in Africa with two key updates: the launch of Africa’s first OpenAI Academy at the University of Lagos and the rollout of ChatGPT Go across the continent. The OpenAI Academy, themed “Equitable Partnerships and the Future of AI in Africa,” aims to empower students and innovators through hands-on learning and inclusive research collaboration.

Supported by Professor Babatunde Sawyerr and Professor Ismail Ibraheem, the initiative aligns with OpenAI’s mission to make AI education accessible to everyone. Meanwhile, ChatGPT Go brings the power of GPT-5 to users at a fraction of the cost, making advanced AI tools 75% more affordable than previous subscription tiers. This expansion opens new opportunities for creators, developers, and learners to access next-generation technology in local contexts.

Why it matters:
This double milestone cements Africa’s role in the global AI ecosystem. By investing in education and affordable access, OpenAI is helping bridge the digital divide while fostering a new generation of African AI innovators ready to shape the continent’s technological future.

Around the world

Anthropic Adds “Skills” to Make Claude More Work-Ready

Anthropic introduced “Skills,” a feature that allows organizations to package workflows, instructions, and resources into Claude agents tailored for specific tasks like Excel operations or brand voice adherence. These Skills deploy across Claude AI, Claude Code, and the Agent SDK, enabling Claude to act more contextually and practically within companies. Early adopters include Box, Canva, and Rakuten. The update helps bridge prototype AI to production use by giving agents a structure to follow. It’s a move toward situational intelligence rather than general-purpose responses.

Microsoft Brings Voice and Vision to Windows Copilot

Microsoft is upgrading Windows 11 with AI features that let users talk to their PCs using “Hey, Copilot,” while Copilot Vision can view and analyze on-screen content to offer help. Copilot Actions is also rolling out, letting the AI perform tasks like editing photos or navigating settings. These tools are opt-in and integrate directly into the taskbar for easy access. The push reinforces Microsoft’s vision of the PC as an AI partner rather than just a tool. Despite past struggles with voice assistants, the company is betting this deeper integration will stick.

Gmail Adds “Help Me Schedule” with Gemini AI

Google has added a feature called “Help me schedule” to Gmail and Calendar that uses Gemini AI to suggest meeting times based on the email context and your availability. When drafting an email that seems to request a meeting, Gmail surfaces this option to streamline scheduling. Once recipients pick a time, the event is automatically added to both parties’ calendars. The feature currently works for one-on-one meetings and is rolling out to Workspace users and AI Pro/Ultra subscribers. It builds on Google’s broader push to make AI deeply embedded in productivity tools.

Around the Web - Top Picks

• African Languages Project Builds Massive New Dataset

  A project called African Next Voices has released 9,000 hours of speech recordings across Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa in everyday settings like health, farming, and education. The dataset covers languages including Kikuyu, Dholuo, Hausa, Yoruba, isiZulu, and Tshivenda. It is open access for developers working on speech-to-text, automatic translation, and other AI tasks. The initiative aims to capture real-life language usage rather than formal registers. It intends to inform future AI language model training to be more inclusive of African languages.

  Read the full article: African Languages Project Builds Massive New Dataset

• Enterprises Double Down on AI Despite Risks

  TechCrunch reports that companies are rushing into enterprise AI deals this week, with players like Zendesk, Anthropic, IBM, and Deloitte making major announcements. Zendesk’s new AI agents are expected to resolve up to 80% of customer service issues. Anthropic and IBM formalized a strategic partnership, while Google unveiled a new AI platform for businesses. Yet real-world use reveals lingering problems, such as AI hallucinations in reports for Australia’s government. Experts warn that enterprise adoption must come with strong oversight and accountability.

  Read the full article: Enterprises Double Down on AI Despite Risks

Seen This?

Upcoming African AI Events

Digital African Conference and Exhibition 2025
Dates: 28-29 October, 2025
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Theme: “Sovereign Intelligence: Africa’s Voice in the Global AI Order,” focusing on AI governance, indigenous AI solutions, and Africa’s role in shaping global AI norms.
Link: Digital African Conference and Exhibition

DatafestAfrica 2025
Date: 18 October, 2025
Location: Nigeria
Theme: A premier platform for data and AI professionals to learn, network, and share best practices, supported by organizations like Microsoft and Sterling Bank. Past editions featured speakers from Deloitte, PwC, Google, and MTN.
Link: DatafestAfrica 2025 

SingularityU South Africa Summit 2025
Dates: 22–23 October 2025
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Theme: “Igniting Africa’s Future,” exploring robotics, AI, biotech, and exponential technologies, with 40+ speakers and a hands-on tech expo.
Link: SingularityU South Africa Summit 2025

AI Expo Africa 2025
Dates: 29–31 October 2025
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Theme: Africa’s largest enterprise AI trade show, featuring case studies, RPA solutions, smart tech demos, and the ITU “AI for Good” Impact Africa Summit in collaboration with the UN.
Link: AI Expo Africa 2025

AI Job Opportunities

• FlexiSAF Edusoft Limited - Generative AI and Data Science Intern

• Microsoft - NLP Research, Kenya

• Sybrin - Machine Learning Intern

• Airfinity Ltd - Data Scientist, South Africa

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