Microsoft and the Education Plus initiative on Thursday launched Empower+, a free digital platform providing artificial intelligence and digital skills training to African youth, with a special focus on adolescent girls and young women.
The platform, announced on March 10, targets learners in 21 African countries and is designed to reduce gender gaps in technology education while equipping youth with skills for the rapidly evolving digital economy. Mobile access ensures that users in remote or underserved regions can participate in the programs.
Modules offered by Empower+ cover basic digital literacy, emerging AI capabilities, and workplace technology applications. Training content is integrated with awareness and prevention materials on HIV, reflecting support from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), which partners in the initiative.
“Access to education and skills is one of the most powerful drivers of opportunity,” said Tiara Pathon, Director of Artificial Intelligence Skills at Microsoft Elevate. “With Empower+, we want to enable learners to gain the knowledge to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world.”
The launch comes amid growing demand for digital skills across sub-Saharan Africa. According to the World Bank, nearly 230 million jobs in the region will require digital competencies by 2030, underscoring the urgency of preparing young people for the labor market.
Gender disparities remain stark. UNESCO data show that women and girls are 25% less likely than men to use digital tools for basic purposes, four times less likely to know programming, and thirteen times less likely to hold ICT patents. Empower+ aims to address these gaps by prioritizing training for female learners.
Officials said the platform will allow participants to progress at their own pace, offering interactive lessons, assessments, and certificates upon completion. Beyond technical skills, Empower+ emphasizes digital literacy as a foundation for entrepreneurship, innovation, and career advancement in AI and other technology sectors.
Education Plus highlighted that the program is part of a broader strategy to leverage digital training as a tool for social inclusion and economic empowerment, particularly for women who face systemic barriers in accessing technology-related education and employment.
The initiative aligns with regional development priorities promoting youth employment, innovation, and the creation of a digitally skilled workforce. By equipping young people with AI and ICT competencies, Empower+ hopes to prepare them for future roles in industries increasingly shaped by technology.
“This initiative not only delivers skills but also builds confidence and resilience,” said an Education Plus spokesperson. “By focusing on young women, we are ensuring that the next generation of African innovators is inclusive and capable of shaping the continent’s digital economy.”
Empower+ reflects a growing trend of public-private partnerships in Africa aimed at closing the digital divide and fostering economic opportunities for underserved populations. Microsoft and Education Plus plan to monitor uptake, evaluate outcomes, and expand training offerings over time to meet evolving market needs.
By providing accessible, high-quality digital education and targeted support for female learners, the initiative represents a strategic effort to reduce inequality, promote technological literacy, and equip Africa’s youth to compete in the global digital economy.
Artificial intelligence (AI) training in Africa has evolved rapidly over the past decade, driven by growing demand for digital skills, the expansion of technology ecosystems, and increasing investment from global technology companies and development institutions. While the continent historically lagged behind in advanced technological development, the rise of AI education and training programs is gradually positioning Africa as an emerging player in the global AI landscape.
Early Foundations of AI Development in Africa
AI training in Africa initially emerged within universities and research institutions. Institutions such as African Institute for Mathematical Sciences began integrating data science and machine learning programs into their academic offerings in the mid-2010s. These programs sought to build a foundation of technical expertise among African students in fields such as statistics, computational mathematics and artificial intelligence.
One of the most influential initiatives was the establishment of Deep Learning Indaba in 2017. The community-driven organisation was created to strengthen machine learning and AI research capacity across Africa by hosting annual conferences, workshops and training sessions. The initiative quickly grew into a network of thousands of researchers, students and practitioners across the continent.
Expansion Through Global Partnerships
International technology companies have played a significant role in scaling AI training opportunities in Africa. In 2018, Google launched the Google AI Research Center in Accra, the company’s first AI research facility on the continent. The centre focuses on training African engineers and researchers while developing AI solutions for local challenges in areas such as agriculture, healthcare and language processing.
Similarly, Microsoft introduced several AI training initiatives through its Microsoft Africa Development Center, which operates engineering hubs in Nairobi and Lagos. These programs aim to build a pipeline of AI engineers and developers capable of contributing to global technology development.
Other organisations such as Data Science Africa have also been instrumental in expanding technical education through workshops and summer schools that train students in machine learning, data science and statistical modelling.
Growth of AI Education and Talent Development
African universities are increasingly introducing specialised AI and data science degree programs. Institutions in countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria have launched postgraduate courses focused on machine learning, robotics and natural language processing.
The creation of African Masters in Machine Intelligence (AMMI), supported by the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, marked a major milestone in structured AI training. The program brings together top African students and leading international researchers to build advanced machine learning expertise.
Online learning platforms and bootcamps have also expanded access to AI training. Programs run by organisations such as Andela and ALX Africa offer intensive digital skills training that includes machine learning, data analytics and software engineering.
Focus on Local Solutions
A defining feature of AI training in Africa is its focus on solving local challenges. Many training programs encourage participants to develop AI applications tailored to African contexts, including crop disease detection, financial inclusion tools, medical diagnostics and language translation systems for indigenous languages.
Researchers have also worked on datasets that reflect African realities, addressing long-standing concerns about bias in global AI systems that are often trained on data from Europe or North America.
Challenges and Opportunities
Despite significant progress, AI training in Africa still faces several challenges. Limited funding for research, inadequate computing infrastructure and shortages of experienced instructors continue to slow the growth of advanced AI education in many countries.
However, the continent’s young population and rapidly expanding digital economy present major opportunities. Africa has the world’s youngest workforce, and demand for digital skills is rising quickly across sectors including finance, agriculture, healthcare and logistics.
Governments and regional organisations are increasingly recognising the importance of AI capacity-building. The African Union has been working toward a continental AI strategy aimed at strengthening digital skills and promoting responsible AI development.
Outlook
As global interest in artificial intelligence continues to grow, Africa is positioning itself to participate more actively in the AI economy. Expanding training initiatives, increased collaboration between universities and technology companies, and growing investment in digital infrastructure are expected to accelerate the development of AI talent across the continent.
With continued support, Africa’s emerging community of AI researchers and engineers could play a key role in shaping technology solutions for both local and global challenges.
