Google announces Sh1.1 billion funding for African universities, free AI Pro student plan

Google on Thursday announced $9 million (Sh1.1 billion) in funding for African universities and research institutions over the next year.

This is part of the U.S. tech giant’s support for higher education institutions on the continent, which has seen it commit over $17 million in funding, curriculum, training and computing, and access to advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models over the past four years.

The company also announced a free one-year subscription to the Google AI Pro plan for college students aged 18 and above across the continent, starting with Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

Google AI Pro is the company’s Sh3,700-a-month AI products bundle comprising, among others, Deep Research, the 2.5 Pro version Gemini app, 1,000 monthly AI credits, and 2.5 TB of storage.

To date, Google says it has trained 7 million Africans and plans to train an additional 3 million students, young people, and teachers by 2030.

At the same time, the tech giant is setting up four subsea cable connectivity hubs in the north, south, east, and west regions of Africa to create new digital corridors within Africa and between Africa and the rest of the world.

It is the latest addition to Google’s Africa Connect infrastructure, which includes the Cloud region in Johannesburg, the Equiano cable running along the entire western seaboard of the continent, and Umoja, the fibre optic route running through Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, DRC, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

“Africa’s digital economy holds immense potential, and it will be driven by the talent and ingenuity of its next generation,” said Alex Okosi, Managing Director for Google in Africa.

“Today’s announcements, spanning AI education, advanced tools for students, and expanded connectivity, are a unified investment into the upward trajectory of the continent. We are committed to providing the foundational infrastructure, the cutting-edge tools, and the financial support necessary for Africa’s youth to innovate, lead, and build a thriving digital world.”