Addis Ababa, 17 November 2025 (ECA) – The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and Google convened this week for a high-level bilateral review marking two years of progress under their strategic partnership to accelerate Africa’s digital transformation, strengthen public data systems, and expand AI readiness across the continent.
A central highlight of the discussion, led by the ECA Executive Secretary, Claver Gatete, and the Google Vice President, Mr Doron Avni, was the launch of the Regional Data Commons for Africa, a flagship initiative jointly led by ECA and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), with financial and technical support from Google.org. Backed by a US$750,000 contribution and the integration of Google’s Data Commons technology, the initiative will establish Africa’s interoperable and AI-enabled public data infrastructure by integrating high-impact datasets from across the continent. Furthermore, the implementation targets to build thematic analytical hubs; support automated generation of policy briefs; and modernize statistical production systems across National Statistical Offices.
The initiative is designed to tackle the persistent fragmentation of Africa’s statistical ecosystem, where limited interoperability, weak infrastructure, and uneven institutional capacity continue to hinder the production and timely use of policy-relevant data. It forms part of Google’s broader US$2.25 million commitment to strengthening Africa’s public data infrastructure for AI aimed at enhancing the continent’s ability to generate, share, and apply high-quality data to inform evidence-based development policymaking.
Reflecting on the launch, Executive Secretary, Gatete stated: “For Africa to drive sustainable development, evidence-based policymaking is indispensable. This requires accessible, reliable, and AI-ready data. This effort is a crucial step forward. By building a Regional Data Commons, we can empower African institutions with the data and tools they need to make strategic choices that will drive growth and prosperity.”
Alongside this review visit, ECA convened a workshop themed AI-Powered Future of ECA, held at the Commission, where discussions focused on practical pathways for responsible AI adoption within the workforce. Reflecting ECA’s strategic direction, Mactar Seck, Chief of ECA’s Emerging and Frontier Technologies, Innovation and Digital Transformation, emphasized that “this training is not just a routine exercise but a fundamental part of ECA’s mission to upskill our workforce and strengthen Africa’s digital readiness.”
Complementing this perspective, Google Vice President Avni encouraged staff to begin their AI journey incrementally, noting the importance of “using AI for simple tasks one at a time, committing, and getting familiar step by step.”
Since the formalization of the 2024–2026 partnership, ECA and Google have collaborated to advance a continental approach to AI governance through a series of joint workshops during high-level regional dialogues and policy-oriented engagements aimed at enhancing government efficiency and supporting Member States in navigating emerging AI technologies. This shared AI policy-making advocacy contributed directly to Africa’s unified positions in major regional outcome documents, notably the 2025 Cotonou Declaration adopted during the WSIS+20 Africa Review, and the consolidated inputs of the 14th African Internet Governance Forum.
Complementing these initiatives, a cybersecurity workshop was delivered in collaboration with the Google Safety Engineering Centre. This session provided digital capacity-building for public officials managing sensitive national systems, reinforcing Member States’ preparedness against the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape.
The partnership’s investment in talent and innovation has also extended to Africa’s youth, particularly through its support to the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) Africa programme. By equipping national organisers with new, scalable models of STEAM education and fostering professional development for teachers and coaches, the collaboration enabled 14 African countries to adopt more accessible pathways for robotics and digital learning. More than 40,000 students have benefitted from this continent-wide effort, which is helping build a future generation of innovators and elevating African teams to global robotics stages.
With the Regional Data Commons initiative now underway and building on the significant progress achieved in strengthening AI policy capacity and expanding the continent's digital talent pipeline, ECA and Google have reaffirmed their joint commitment. Both entities will explore this progress to expand the partnership's reach, underlining that such strategic collaborations are essential for advancing an inclusive, ethical, and development-driven digital transformation for the continent.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org