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  • UAE pledges $1 billion to expand AI infrastructure across Africa

UAE pledges $1 billion to expand AI infrastructure across Africa

PLUS: NVIDIA targets Morocco as next African expansion hub

Author

Ayodele Oluleye
November 28, 2025

Weekly Roundup

Hi Ayodele here,

Over the past week, Africa’s AI momentum picked up again. The UAE committed $1 billion to boost AI infrastructure and skills, the G20 highlighted Africa as a priority in global AI and data governance, and NVIDIA is targeting Morocco as its next base for regional expansion. These updates signal stronger investment, deeper partnerships, and a continent steadily positioning itself as a key player in the AI world.

Let us get into it. In this edition:

  • UAE pledges $1 billion to expand AI infrastructure across Africa

  • NVIDIA targets Morocco as next African expansion hub

  • G20 declaration puts Africa at the centre of global AI and data governance agenda

Around Africa

UAE pledges $1 billion to expand AI infrastructure across Africa

The United Arab Emirates has unveiled a landmark $1 billion initiative aimed at boosting AI infrastructure, training, and innovation across multiple African countries. The investment will support data centers, AI talent programs, and partnerships with governments to build foundational digital capacity.

Priority areas include low-energy compute systems, local-language AI models, and digital public infrastructure. The program reflects the UAE’s strategy to position itself as a global AI development partner and strengthen ties across the Global South. It also sets a new benchmark for the scale of foreign investment flowing into Africa’s AI ecosystem. Early indications suggest the initiative could influence upcoming national AI strategies across the continent.

Why it matters:

This could significantly accelerate Africa’s AI readiness by addressing hard gaps like compute access, skilled talent, and infrastructure reliability. It also diversifies the sources of AI investment into the continent, reducing overreliance on Western partnerships. As more African governments formalize AI strategies, this initiative may shape regional standards, accelerate innovation, and expand homegrown AI use cases.

G20 declaration puts Africa at the centre of global AI and data governance agenda

The G20 Leaders’ Declaration this year placed Africa at the center of global technology and digital cooperation priorities. The statement emphasizes support for digital public infrastructure, AI capacity building, and cross-border tech collaboration with African nations.

G20 members also pledged to work with African governments on responsible AI governance and digital inclusion. This represents a shift in global policy tone, recognizing Africa as a future driver of digital growth. The declaration builds on recent momentum from the African Union’s G20 membership and expanding international AI partnerships. It signals growing global consensus that Africa’s digital transformation is strategically important for economic and geopolitical stability.

Why it matters:

The G20’s positioning could unlock new funding, technical support, and global partnerships for African AI initiatives. It reinforces Africa’s influence in shaping global AI governance discussions rather than merely being a recipient of policies. This attention may help align international efforts around infrastructure, inclusion, and innovation across the continent.

NVIDIA targets Morocco as next African expansion hub

NVIDIA has indicated plans to expand its presence in Africa by establishing Morocco as its next key regional hub after entering South Africa earlier this year. The company will work with local partners to deploy advanced AI infrastructure, including GPU-based data centers.

Morocco’s strategic location and growing tech ecosystem make it an attractive gateway into North and West Africa. The move also aligns with the country’s national digital agenda, which prioritizes AI, cloud adoption, and high-performance computing. NVIDIA’s entry is expected to stimulate local AI startups, research institutions, and enterprise adoption. It also strengthens Morocco’s ambition to become a competitive AI center on the continent.

Why it matters:

NVIDIA’s expansion could boost access to high-performance compute, which is one of the biggest barriers to AI development in Africa. The investment may also help catalyze regional AI ecosystems and attract global tech players to North Africa. By building infrastructure and partnerships, NVIDIA is positioning Morocco as a key node in Africa’s emerging AI capabilities

Around the world

ChatGPT Turns into Your Holiday Shopping Sidekick

ChatGPT now includes a “Shopping Research” feature that builds personalised buyer’s guides based on what you need for free, on both mobile and web. It asks follow-up questions about your preferences, browses across sites, and recommends products filtered by price, purpose, or features. The tool sources specs, reviews, and deals from quality websites then compiles a shortlist tailored to you. It’s live for all logged-in users and especially handy for holiday shopping or major purchases. OpenAI may add “instant checkout” soon so you can buy directly from the chat tool.

Warner Music Group & Suno Strike Deal to Bring Licensed AI Music to Everyone

Warner Music Group settled its lawsuit against AI music generator Suno and signed a licensing agreement that allows Suno to legally offer AI-generated songs using artist likenesses starting in 2026. Artists will have to opt-in and retain control over how their voice, image, and compositions are used. Free-tier users will still be able to play and share songs, while downloads will require a paid subscription. The agreement is being hailed as a potential blueprint for “pro-artist AI” that compensates creators while allowing fans to generate music.

Anthropic Launches Opus 4.5 with Chrome and Excel Integrations

Anthropic has released Opus 4.5, the latest version of its flagship AI model, now with built-in integrations for web browsers (like Chrome) and spreadsheet software (like Excel). These integrations let the AI directly interact with web pages or data tables, enabling tasks such as summarizing webpages or analyzing spreadsheet data without switching tools. The update is part of a growing trend where developer-friendly AI starts acting more like a multifunctional assistant than just a chatbot.

Around the Web - Top Picks

  • AI Shopping Assistants From OpenAI and Perplexity Shake Up E-commerce: This week, OpenAI and Perplexity rolled out AI-powered shopping assistants that let users shop via chat instead of wading through traditional e-commerce listings. The tools use conversational prompts (or even images) to understand what you want, like “gaming laptop under $1000” or “winter coat for cold climate.” Some niche AI shopping startups say they’re not overly concerned yet, arguing that deep specialization (like fashion or furniture) still matters for nuanced taste. Read the full article: AI Shopping Assistants From OpenAI and Perplexity Shake Up E-commerce

  • Insurers Warn: AI Is Too Risky to Underwrite: A growing number of major insurers, including Great American Insurance Company, W. R. Berkley Corporation, and others, are pushing regulators to allow them to exclude AI-related liabilities from corporate policies. They argue that AI models are “too much of a black box.” Recent real-world incident, from fraudulent deepfakes to chatbot-driven misinformation or legal liability, have pushed claims risk well beyond isolated events. This growing retreat shakes the foundation of commercial trust in AI, especially for firms relying heavily on AI tools. Read the full article: Insurers Warn: AI Is Too Risky to Underwrite

Upcoming African AI Events

Kwara AI Summit
Date: November 27-28, 2025
Location: Ilorin, Kwara
Theme: The goal is to show how Artificial Intelligence can make life better for everyday people, helping farmers produce more, improving public services, and opening new doors for young people in the digital economy.
Link: KwaraAISummit

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

NeurIPS 2025 – Black in AI Workshop
Date: December 2025
Location: Global (with African researchers’ participation)
Theme: Highlighting Africa’s growing presence on the global AI research stage, the Black in AI workshop at NeurIPS 2025 provides a platform for African scholars to present

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