Hi Ayodele here,

Africa’s AI landscape is taking shape through bold moves in policy, infrastructure, and inclusion. Nigeria is charting its course with a national roadmap to scale AI adoption. South Africa is creating space for dialogue and collaboration through its first National AI Stakeholder Forum. Orange is partnering with OpenAI to make digital tools work better in African languages, and Côte d’Ivoire is fueling innovation with an $800 million tech fund.

This edition looks at how governments and industry leaders are turning ambition into action, building an AI future designed for Africa’s realities and opportunities.

Let us get into it. In this edition:

• Nigeria AI Scaling Hub Sets Roadmap to drive AI Adoption

• Orange Adopts OpenAI Models to Support African Languages

• South Africa Launches National AI Stakeholder Forum

Around Africa

Nigeria AI Scaling Hub Sets Roadmap to drive AI Adoption

The Nigeria AI Scaling Hub has outlined its strategic plan to drive AI adoption across sectors, focusing on creating a robust national AI ecosystem. The roadmap prioritizes developing homegrown AI solutions, strengthening data infrastructure, and promoting AI education and skills development.

It also emphasizes public-private partnerships, ethical AI governance, and targeted sectoral applications in areas like healthcare, agriculture, and public services. This initiative builds on Nigeria’s AI Strategy and aims to accelerate implementation by aligning stakeholders and resources.

Why It Matters
By moving from planning to coordinated execution, Nigeria is positioning itself as a continental leader in AI. The roadmap ensures that AI deployment addresses local needs, builds domestic capacity, and fosters innovation while safeguarding ethics and inclusivity.

South Africa Launches National AI Stakeholder Forum

South Africa has launched its first National AI Stakeholder Forum to guide the country’s approach to artificial intelligence. The forum brings together government, academia, civil society, and industry to shape AI policies that prioritize inclusion, ethics, and public benefit.

It will focus on aligning AI adoption with South Africa’s socio-economic goals while ensuring responsible innovation. The initiative also supports the implementation of the country’s draft National AI Strategy, which aims to create a people-centered tech future.

Why It Matters
This forum creates a platform for collaboration that can bridge the gap between policy and practice. By centering ethics, inclusivity, and public interest, South Africa is taking proactive steps to ensure AI benefits are widely shared and not concentrated in the hands of a few.

Orange Adopts OpenAI Models to Support African Languages

Telecom giant Orange will use OpenAI’s latest AI models to improve services in African languages. The initiative aims to make digital tools more accessible to millions by integrating local language capabilities into customer support and other services.

This move is part of Orange’s broader strategy to enhance digital inclusion and tailor technology to Africa’s linguistic diversity. The company will work with OpenAI to fine-tune models for better understanding and response in multiple African languages.

Why It Matters
Language barriers are a major hurdle to tech adoption in Africa. By enabling AI to work effectively in local languages, Orange is making digital services more inclusive, helping bridge the gap for users who are not fluent in global languages like English or French.

Other Developments

Côte d’Ivoire Launches $800 Million Tech Innovation Fund: Côte d’Ivoire has unveiled an $800 million fund to drive technological innovation and support startups across key sectors. The initiative will focus on boosting digital infrastructure, fostering entrepreneurship, and advancing emerging technologies, including AI. The government aims to strengthen the country’s position as a tech hub in West Africa, with funding allocated to both early-stage ventures and established companies.

Around the world

OpenAI launches long awaited GPT-5

OpenAI has released GPT-5, the next generation of its AI language model. The upgrade is expected to deliver major improvements in reasoning, problem-solving, and factual accuracy. GPT-5 will also integrate more deeply with ChatGPT, enhancing its ability to handle complex, multi-step tasks. Early tests suggest a significant leap in performance compared to GPT-4.

Grok Launches Free AI Video Generator

xAI’s Grok has introduced a new AI video generation tool that is currently free to use. The platform allows users to create short, high-quality videos from text prompts in minutes. It supports a range of styles and scenarios, offering creative possibilities for social media and marketing. The free access is expected to attract a surge of early adopters.

Google Launches Guided Learning Tool in Gemini

Google has introduced a new Guided Learning feature in its Gemini AI to compete with ChatGPT’s Study Mode. The tool helps students learn step-by-step by breaking complex topics into manageable parts and offering interactive explanations. It aims to enhance understanding across subjects and is available to select users in the initial rollout.

Around the Web - Top Picks

• The Untapped AI Opportunity in Custom Models: While most focus on general AI tools, Tey Bannerman points out the huge, under-discussed potential of fine-tuned, niche AI models. These specialized systems, trained on industry-specific data, can outperform generic AI in accuracy and efficiency. He argues that businesses leveraging custom models will unlock deeper value and stronger competitive advantages. Read the full piece: The Untapped AI Opportunity in Custom Models

• GPT-5 Pushes AI Beyond Conversations: OpenAI’s GPT-5 marks a shift from being just a chatbot to acting as a capable AI assistant that can proactively execute tasks. It can handle multi-step actions, integrate with tools, and work autonomously with minimal prompting. Early testers highlight its improved reasoning, memory, and ability to manage complex workflows from start to finish. Read the full piece: GPT-5 — It Just Does Stuff

Seen This?

AI-generated music is becoming a thing. It is transforming how songs are created, giving users control over genre, style, structure, and even lyrics. These tools can compose in multiple languages, adapt to specific moods, and produce professional-quality tracks in minutes.

Upcoming African AI Events

CNBC AI Summit
Date: 14 August 2025
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Highlights: This premier event will convene up to 300 industry professionals, providing a dynamic platform for networking, engagement, and insightful discussions on the transformative impact of AI across Africa's key sectors.
Link: CNBC AI Summit

Deep Learning Indaba 2025
Date: 17 August – 22 August 2025
Location: Rwanda
Highlights: Premier AI research gathering in Africa, workshops, and networking with top ML researchers.
Link: Deep Learning Indaba

GITEX NIgeria
Date: 1-4 September 2025
Location: Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria
Theme: Gitex is where tech leaders unite to explore opportunities and showcase innovations. It's the ideal platform to connect with key players, build meaningful connections.
Link: GITEX Nigeria

AI Job Opportunities

• MTN Cloud Accelerator Program 

• Mest AI Startup program - AI’s Emerging Leaders In AI Grad Prep Program

• Accenture – Data and AI Manager

• Unis  – AI & Robotics Business Partner

• Moniepoint Group  – Senior Data Scientist

Use Case: Boost your AI Search Capabilities with Google Deep Research

Google’s Deep Research uses Gemini to conduct multi-step reasoning across the web, delivering detailed, synthesized answers with cited sources. It can plan, fact-check, and refine responses, making it ideal for complex questions.

The tool works across topics like travel, product research, and academic queries, aiming for accuracy and context-rich results.

Tutorial to learn how it works: Watch here