New York, 2 October 2026 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the GSMA have announced a strategic partnership to strengthen Africa’s artificial intelligence ecosystem and accelerate the deployment of African-led AI solutions, including African language AI.
The partnership brings together the GSMA’s mobile industry expertise and networks with UNDP’s development programmes and innovation platforms to support African-led AI innovation. The collaboration will connect local talent with opportunities to develop and deploy solutions that respond to Africa’s priorities, including AI in African languages, helping ensure more people and businesses can benefit from the continent’s digital transformation.
Through the UNDP timbuktoo initiative, which is empowering African innovators to scale development solutions, UNDP and GSMA will collaborate to improve access to compute infrastructure for priority AI pilots and connect African talent to real-world AI applications. The partnership will also support the deployment of locally developed AI solutions and identify pathways for long-term sustainability and scale.
The collaboration aligns with the GSMA’s wider work on African-language AI through ATLAS Umoja AI, launched with government and industry partners in July 2026. The initiative brings together expertise and language data from across Africa to support AI services that reflect local needs, helping address language and content barriers to digital inclusion.
Aissata De, Officer-in-Charge and Regional Director for Africa, UNDP said: “Africa has the talent and creativity to shape the future of artificial intelligence. Through this partnership, we will help connect innovators to the infrastructure, skills and opportunities needed to develop and scale AI solutions that address Africa’s priorities and create opportunities for young people across the continent”.
Angela Wamola, Head of Africa, GSMA noted “Africa’s AI future must be shaped by its own talent and reflect the languages and needs of its communities. The mobile industry has an important role to play in helping locally developed solutions reach the people and businesses that can benefit from them. By bringing together the GSMA’s industry networks and UNDP’s innovation platforms, this partnership will help African innovators move from promising pilots towards sustainable services that support inclusive digital and economic growth.”
The collaboration will mobilize talent and expertise in the GSMA and UNDP networks, including the UNDP-supported University Innovation Pods (UniPods) network, AI Labs, universities and other ecosystem partners, to accelerate the development, deployment and scaling of AI solutions across Africa.
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About UNDP
UNDP is the leading United Nations agency fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. Learn more at undp.org/ http://www.undp.org/africa or follow @UNDP and @UNDPAfrica.
About GSMA
The GSMA is a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry, and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach. This activity includes advancing policy, tackling today’s biggest societal challenges, underpinning the technology and interoperability that make mobile work, and providing the world’s largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events.
We invite you to find out more at gsma.com
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UNDP
Ms. Praise Nutakor, Partnerships and Communications Specialist for Africa, UNDP, New York | praise.nutakor@undp.org
GSMA
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