Nairobi Kenya, 6 December 2024 –  In a significant step toward advancing Africa’s inclusive digital and green transformation, the Government of Kenya, through the Ministry of Information, Communications and Digital Economy (MICDE) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Kenya School of Government, Konza Technopolis, and the timbuktoo Africa Innovation Foundation, today launched the Africa Centre of Competence for Digital and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Skilling and the timbuktoo GreenTech Hub. 

H.E. William S. Ruto, the President of the Republic of Kenya, noted that “Africa is endowed with abundant resources, innovation and talent; yet, these resources have not been utilised to fully benefit the socio-economic ambitions of our continent. Through the timbuktoo GreenTech Hub and the Africa Centre of Competence for Digital and AI Skilling, we can harness emerging technological opportunities and invest in ideas that propel Africa as the next frontier of tech-enabled response to the impacts of climate change and enhanced public service delivery. Our collaboration with UNDP and other partners on these critical initiatives represents a significant leap towards realising Africa’s digital and green transformation.”

The timbuktoo GreenTech Hub and Africa Centre of Competence for Digital and AI Skilling align with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 aspirations of a prosperous Africa that is inclusive and sustainable with citizen empowerment and skills revolution underpinned by Science, technology and innovation. By capitalising on the innovation of African startups to drive Africa’s green transition and equipping civil servants with essential technological competencies to transform service delivery, Africa can reimagine and accelerate inclusive and people-centred solutions while creating sustainable societies of the 21st Century and beyond.

Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, UN Assistant Secretary General and UNDP’s Africa Regional Director  said, “Africa’s green and climate tech sectors hold immense potential but face significant barriers, including limited access to risk capital, fragmented markets, and insufficient infrastructure. UNDP, through the timbuktoo GreenTech Hub, will leverage the Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative (AGII), the UAE’s USD 4.5 billion finance initiative launched at the Africa Climate Summit (ACS), bringing together private, public, and development capital to unlock Africa’s green energy potential.” She added that Africa has the most outstanding human capital and agency to be at the forefront of a socio-economic revolution of the world. Fostering a culture of innovation and learning across all sectors, including the public sector, is poised to elevate African ingenuity and talent that is more responsive and fit for purpose in responding to humanity's most pressing challenges.

“For Africa’s green and digital transition to succeed, it requires a visionary collaboration of stakeholders—spanning public and private sectors, as well as national and global partnerships. Equipping Africa with the necessary technological skills, resources, and tools is pivotal to bridging the digital divide to create solutions that serve the public good and the continent’s progress in achieving both the Global Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063,” said Winnie Karanu, AI National Skills Director at Microsoft.

By fostering a culture of digital experimentation, ideation helps the private and public sectors to be better equipped to leverage data-driven decision-making and policy-making processes, thereby enhancing Africa’s competitiveness.

“The Africa Centre of Competence for Digital and AI Skilling provides an opportunity to reinvigorate excellence and efficiency in our public institutions. Our first cohort of civil servants is already undergoing training through collaborative efforts with UNDP, Microsoft, Google, and other partners. The centre aims to equip 100,000 civil servants in Kenya during the first phase. It is also expected that civil servants from Uganda, Cape Verde, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Nigeria, will join this initiative that is poised to shift how the public sector across the continent interacts with the digital world and emerging technologies.” said Prof. Nura Mohamed, Director General, Kenya School of Government. 

Across the continent, groundbreaking solutions are emerging in key sectors as digital technologies continue to be powerful drivers of socioeconomic transformation. The intersection of stakeholders—public and private, national and global—presents a formidable front that harnesses the transformative power of technology beyond borders and Kenya is uniquely positioned to catalyse this progress.

“Konza is more than a tech hub; it represents Kenya’s commitment to a sustainable future where innovation fuels economic growth. As a symbol of forward-thinking and a beacon of digital transformation, we are thrilled to host the timbuktoo GreenTech Hub. We look forward to welcoming innovators from across our continent to Africa’s Silicon Savannah where they can ideate, test and bring to scale ideas that will positively enhance Africa’s climate action and response,” said John Paul Okwiri, CEO of Konza Technopolis.

For media enquiries please contact:

Addis Ababa: Ngele Ali, Regional Communications Advisor, Africa. Email: ngele.ali@undp.org  

Kenya: Martin Namasaka, Head of Communications, UNDP Kenya. Email: martin.namasaka@undp.org