Hallo,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here's what I've got for you today:
- $5.8M for Africa's digital workforce
- Nigeria's car wars: Toyota vs China
- Ghana's farming tech gets $2M
$5.8M for Africa's digital workforce
Google is ramping up its support for AI training in sub-Saharan Africa with a new $5.8 million commitment to equip the workforce with essential AI skills.
This funding will go to programmes that help people across different sectors learn how to use AI tools and integrate AI into their work, supporting a future where people are prepared for an AI-driven world.
Programmes focusing on AI safety and ethics for teens, AI training for nonprofit leaders, and public sector skilling will all benefit from this investment.
To foster more regional innovation, Google is continuing its focus on research and development in Africa. Its Google Research Africa centres in Accra, Ghana, and Nairobi, Kenya, are working on projects like Open Buildings, an AI initiative that maps buildings across Africa to support urban planning, disaster relief, and social development.
The recently launched Product Development Center in Nairobi is also building solutions tailored to African markets, such as voice-enabled tech for African languages and a low-bandwidth HTML5 gaming platform.
Google’s partnerships are crucial to scaling these efforts. The company is working closely with governments, nonprofits, and private organisations to ensure that the benefits of AI reach as many people as possible.
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In Nigeria, Google is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy to support its goal of developing three million technical talents. This partnership includes funding for educational programmes that introduce AI to young Nigerians and support for AI startups through an equity-free accelerator fund.
This $5.8 million commitment is part of Google’s broader $1 billion pledge made in 2021 to fuel Africa's digital growth. This investment is also behind the Equiano cable, which has been increasing internet speed and reliability across the region. Through these initiatives, Google continues to drive digital skills development, entrepreneurship, and innovation across Africa.
Nigeria's car wars: Toyota vs China
Toyota has a serious hold on Nigerian roads today, but it wasn’t always this way.
Back in the 1970s, the Nigerian government pushed for local brands like Peugeot and Volkswagen, even setting up assembly plants to boost domestic production.
But as economic troubles and policy missteps piled up, these plants faded, and by the 1990s, Toyota swooped in with affordable, reliable used cars that quickly won Nigerians over.
Fast forward to today, and China is eyeing Toyota's spot. Brands like GAC and BYD are taking a page from Toyota’s playbook — offering competitive prices, securing local partnerships, and rolling out solid after-sales support.
They’ve already got corporate clients on board, but winning over individual buyers will be the real test. Cars here are more than transportation; they’re status symbols, and Toyota's reputation runs deep.
So, can China truly change Nigeria’s automotive loyalties? Bolu's deep-dive article unpacks the strategies and market forces at play to see if Chinese brands can steer the shift. Read it here.
Ghana's farming tech gets $2M
Ghanaian agritech company Oyster Agribusiness just raised $2 million to boost its climate-smart farming initiatives. Led by Pangea Africa Limited, the funding round also saw support from Root Capital, RDF Ghana, and Sahel Capital's SEFAA Fund.
With this backing, Oyster aims to reach more farmers and strengthen its climate-focused efforts, which are critical as Ghana’s agriculture sector faces mounting climate challenges.
Founded in 2018, Oyster Agribusiness empowers smallholder farmers by offering sustainable inputs, modern agronomic practices, and a steady market for their produce.
The company uses innovative tech like drones for spraying crops and seeders for planting, making the whole process more efficient. Over the past five years, it’s supported around 4,500 small farmers, cultivated over 20,000 acres, and supplied 25,000 tons of produce locally and abroad, paying out about $3.8 million to its farmers.
Earlier this year, the company also secured $310,000 to support sustainable agriculture, gender inclusion, and talent management.
Agriculture is vital to Ghana’s economy, with the sector expected to grow from $3.4 billion in 2024 to nearly $3.9 billion by 2029. Still, attracting young people to farming is a challenge, as Kwadaso Agric College’s Ishak Shaibu pointed out, emphasising the need to blend agricultural training with IT skills.
In case you missed them
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What I'm watching
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Opportunities
- Looking for an internship or remote role? Here's a list of 1,500+ opportunities in different fields (tech, finance, marketing, health and more). Check it out here.
- A Nigeria-based online sales & marketing expert is needed in a Dutch company. Check it out here.
- Follow Techpoint Africa's WhatsApp channel to stay on top of the latest trends and news in the African tech space here.
Have a lovely Tuesday!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa.
