AfDB Backs AI Training to Drive Africa’s Agenda 2063 Implementation

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has thrown its weight behind a new artificial intelligence (AI) training programme aimed at accelerating the implementation of Africa’s long-term development blueprint, Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Bank said that through its Joint Secretariat Support Office, it provided both technical and financial assistance for the fifth annual training workshop for African Union (AU) member states on leveraging AI to enhance monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of the Second Ten-Year Plan (2024–2033) of Agenda 2063.

Agenda 2063 serves as Africa’s master plan for inclusive and sustainable growth, embodying the continent’s vision for unity, self-reliance, progress, and prosperity under the ideals of Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance.

The five-day workshop, held in Lusaka, Zambia, was jointly organised by the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF). It brought together delegates from AU member states to strengthen their technical capacity in using AI tools and digital innovations to track and report on developmental progress.

Participants took part in hands-on sessions with emerging AI platforms such as Ailyse, ChatGPT, Google AI Studio, Google Gemini, and Perplexity. The training explored how these technologies can improve data analysis, enhance decision-making, and support evidence-based policy formulation in line with Agenda 2063 priorities.

Speaking at the event, AfDB Lead Programme Coordinator, Abibu Tamu, reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to working closely with the AUC and other strategic partners to fast-track the goals of Agenda 2063’s Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan.

“These tools are not only revolutionising how data is collected, analysed, and reported, but they are also enabling more targeted policy interventions and efficient resource allocation,” Tamu said.

The workshop also provided a platform for peer learning, with participating countries sharing innovative national development planning strategies and best practices in results-based reporting. The initiative forms part of broader continental efforts to strengthen both institutional and human capacity, ensuring Africa is better positioned to meet its long-term development goals.

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