Hi Ayodele here,

This week, Nigeria reinforced its growing role in Africa’s AI and digital policy landscape. The government announced a ₦12 billion investment in new research clusters focused on AI, connectivity, and digital skills, while lawmakers proposed the country’s first AI governance bill to establish clear rules for ethical and responsible use. At the same time, SAP expanded its AI and data skills initiative across the continent, equipping developers and enterprises with the tools to innovate at scale.

This edition explores how investment, regulation, and skills development are coming together to shape the foundations of Africa’s AI future.

Let us get into it. In this edition:

• Nigeria invests ₦12 billion in AI, digital skills, and connectivity research clusters

• SAP Expands AI & Data Skills Initiative in Africa

• Nigeria Proposes First Legal Framework for AI Governance

Around Africa

Nigeria invests ₦12 billion in AI, digital skills, and connectivity research clusters

Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy announced that the government has funded over 55 research projects and is allocating ₦12 billion to build new research clusters focused on AI, connectivity, and digital skills.

The projects will span three university-led clusters: one focused on artificial intelligence, another on connectivity infrastructure, and a third centred on digital skills for Nigeria’s youth. These initiatives were revealed at the ICEGOV 2025 conference in Abuja and emphasize collaboration among academics, industry, and government agencies. The research clusters aim to enable cutting-edge innovations while strengthening Nigeria’s role in global digital governance.

The funding builds on the work of the National Information Technology Development Agency leading Nigeria’s digital economy drive. The move reflects Nigeria’s intention to scale tech innovation beyond urban hubs and embed it across the country.

Why This Matters
By investing in foundational research and building national clusters, Nigeria is positioning itself to lead AI development that is home-grown, inclusive, and geared toward national priorities.

SAP Expands AI & Data Skills Initiative in Africa

Enterprise software leader SAP unveiled new AI-powered enhancements to its SAP Build platform and committed to training 12 million people worldwide in AI skills by 2030. The updates enable developers to integrate tools like Claude Code, Cursor, and n8n agents within SAP workflows, offering streamlined paths from idea to deployment.

The initiative also introduces a new data product studio and integrations with platforms such as Snowflake, Databricks, and Google Cloud to support African enterprises. Hands-on training and certification programs in partnership with e-learning providers like Coursera will be expanded across the region. These actions are part of SAP’s strategy to accelerate enterprise innovation in Africa by empowering developers and organizations to adopt AI at scale. The rollout marks a significant investment in the region’s tech talent pipeline and infrastructure readiness.

Why it matters

Building local AI skills and embedding advanced developer tools strengthens Africa’s capacity to lead in the global AI economy rather than just follow it.

Nigeria Proposes First Legal Framework for AI Governance

The Nigerian House of Representatives introduced the “A Bill for an Act to Ensure Proper Control of Usage of Artificial Intelligence Technology in Nigeria and for Related Matters,” which would require mandatory registration and licensing for all AI developers and users.

The bill proposes establishing a National Artificial Intelligence Council to oversee standards, audits, approvals, and enforcement of AI usage across the country. It aims to regulate both native and imported AI solutions and ensure ethical alignment with human rights, public safety, and national security priorities. The framework signals Nigeria’s shift from policy to law in managing AI technologies in its digital economy.

Experts note that while other African countries focus on enabling ecosystems, Nigeria’s approach places a stronger emphasis on oversight and accountability. The bill’s passage would make Nigeria among the first African nations to embed AI governance in formal legislation.

Why it matters

A robust regulatory framework can protect innovation while safeguarding society, this bill has the potential to shape how AI is developed and deployed across the continent.

Around the world

Google AI Mode Adds Agentic Booking Features

Google’s AI Mode now lets users directly book event tickets and beauty appointments through search by describing their preferences, and it links to live booking pages once options are found. The capability is currently available to users in the U.S. via the Search Labs experimental platform. AI Mode handles the browsing, compares results across websites, and filters by criteria like cost, location, and availability, all within the search experience.

Google Gemini Deep Research Gets Contextual Access to Your Documents

Google’s Gemini AI has been upgraded with a Deep Research mode that can access a user’s Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Chat to create personalized research reports, market analyses, and briefing briefs. After defining a topic, the AI designs a research plan, gathers information from both personal and public sources, and compiles it into a structured report that can be exported to Google Docs. The feature is currently available on desktop for Gemini users and includes integrations with Workspace tools.

Google Maps Integrates Gemini AI for Conversational Navigation

Google Maps is rolling out Gemini AI to offer conversational route guidance and interactive exploration while travelling. Users will be able to ask open-ended questions like “What’s a good stop for lunch along this route?” and have the map adjust the route accordingly. The system uses landmark-based directions, integrates with Google Lens for real-time scene recognition, and monitors your journey to send proactive traffic alerts. Interactions with Calendar and other Google apps are supported, making Maps function more like a travel assistant.

Around the Web - Top Picks

• Meta Has an AI Product Problem

  TechCrunch reports that Meta Platforms is investing heavily in AI infrastructure, but the return in meaningful products and revenue is lagging behind. The company is building large data centres and spending as much as $600 billion over the next three years, yet it remains unclear how these assets will translate into consumer-facing value. Meta’s challenge lies not in compute or talent, it lies in clarity of product direction and differentiation. Analysts suggest the company has not yet found its “killer AI use case” to rival the likes of OpenAI or Google LLC.

  Read the full article: Meta Has an AI Product Problem

• When Agentic AI Goes Rogue: Social Engineering’s Next Phase

  This article explores how the rise of autonomous, agentic AI systems is reshaping social engineering and cybercrime. These AIs can plan multi-step deception campaigns, adapting messages, voices, and tactics to thumbnail-level target vulnerabilities. Unlike simple chatbots, they act like digital accomplices scouting data, crafting fake identities, and scaling attacks with minimal human oversight. The piece warns that common defences against phishing may soon be obsolete as the tools evolve.

  Read the full article: When AI Goes Rogue: How Agentic AI Will Reshape Social Engineering

Seen This?

Keith Townsend says that you can vibe-code your way to insight, but you can’t vibe-code your way to scale. The piece argues that while low-friction AI-driven coding and rapid prototyping are fun and useful, they don’t replace the need for systems thinking. “Vibe-coding” often creates early innovation but neglects maintainability, standards, and integration. He concludes that it’s okay to vibe-code, but you must not mistake it for a scalable strategy.

Upcoming African AI Events

Africa Tech Festival & AI Summit Cape Town 2025
Date: November 11–13, 2025
Location: CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa
Theme: Formerly known as AfricaCom, this 28th annual festival unites over 12,000 attendees across telecoms, innovation, and digital transformation. The AI Summit Cape Town track will explore governance, infrastructure, and ethical AI, alongside special features like the AI4Good Impact Africa Pavilion

IndabaX AI Workshops and Hackathons
Date: November 2025
Location: Various African countries (Uganda, Ghana, Zimbabwe)
Theme: Community-led events affiliated with the Deep Learning Indaba, aimed at spreading practical AI skills at the grassroots. These workshops and hackathons foster local innovation and strengthen Africa’s AI talent pipeline.

AI Job Opportunities

• OBSS - Data Engineer, Nigeria

• Delta System & Software, Inc. - Machine Learning Engineer, Nigeria

• Tilo - AI Automation Engineer, South Africa

• Easting Inc. - Machine Learning Engineer, Liberia

• globalli - AI Engineer, Mauritius

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