Kenya in talks to host East Africa’s first Open AI Academy
President Ruto and Sam Altman discuss plans on sidelines of G7 Summit
Kenya in Talks With OpenAI to Host East Africa’s First AI Academy in Nairobi
#Kenya #education – Kenya is in discussions with OpenAI to establish the first OpenAI Academy initiative in East Africa, following talks between President William Ruto and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on the sidelines of the G7 Leaders’ Summit in France this week. If realised, the initiative would see Nairobi host a regional centre focused on AI education, digital skills development and workforce readiness for students, educators and professionals across the region. According to Kenyan media, no formal agreement has been announced and discussions remain at an early stage.
SO WHAT? – Kenya’s pursuit of an OpenAI Academy aligns with government goals to attract global AI players, build domestic talent at scale and move Kenya up the digital value chain. Often ranked in Africa’s top five tech ecosystems, Kenya has earned the nickname Silicon Savannah. Last year the country’s Ministry of Information, Communications and The Digital Economy launched a comprehensive Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025-203, aiming to position the country as a pioneering force in African technology. Kenya’s ambition is to lead in AI model innovation, R&D and commercialisation, creating solutions tailored to the country’s unique needs and to the wider needs of the continent.
KEY POINTS:
President William Ruto held talks with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on the sidelines of the G7 Leaders’ Summit in France, proposing Nairobi as the home of the first OpenAI Academy initiative in Eastern Africa. The discussions between Ruto and Altman covered AI education, digital skills development and support for educators and learners across the region.
The proposed OpenAI Academy would reinforce Nairobi’s growing reputation as a regional technology hub. However, important questions around funding, governance, timelines and scale remain unresolved, and the initiative’s realisation depends on the outcome of ongoing negotiations.
Kenya recorded the world’s highest rate of AI tool usage in 2025, with 97.5% of online adults reporting active use of AI-powered technologies, according to the Digital Global Update Report. That interest and usage gives Kenya a good foundation of grassroots AI adoption on which to build formal education and talent development infrastructure.
The proposed Academy aligns with Kenya’s National AI Strategy 2025–2030, which aims to position Kenya as Africa’s leading AI innovation hub. The strategy is to attain leadership in governance, ethics, digital infrastructure, data ecosystem development and support for AI research and innovation.
Kenya has intensified engagements with major global AI and technology firms in recent months, including Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, Meta, NVIDIA, Mistral AI and Cohere.
The OpenAI Academy proposal would complement Kenya’s existing digital infrastructure investments, made under the National Digital Master Plan 2022–2032, including innovation hubs, connectivity expansion and digital skills training programmes targeting young people across the country.
Kenya has strengthened its international AI profile through several multilateral commitments, including participation in the United Nations High-Level Advisory Board on AI, membership of the International Network of AI Safety Institutes, and leadership of the World Summit on the Information Society WSIS+20 process.
Securing the OpenAI Academy would add a globally recognised brand to Kenya’s AI talent ecosystem at a moment when demand for skilled digital workers is accelerating rapidly.
ZOOM OUT – Last October the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and OpenAI confirmed that UNILAG would become the first African institution to host an OpenAI Academy. The Lagos academy provides free AI learning resources and capacity-building opportunities for students, researchers and professionals across Africa, with sessions led by facilitators showcasing how AI is being used across Nigeria and the continent. The announcement came during UNILAG’s International Week, themed Equitable Partnerships and the Future of AI in Africa.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
Source: Kenyan media
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