Firms partner to bridge Africa’s AI skills gap

In a major step toward closing Africa’s growing AI and data skills gap, TechNovelle, a platform co-founded by cybersecurity and AI product expert Rianat Abbas, has announced a new partnership with global learning platform DataCamp. The initiative aims to upskill hundreds of learners across Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and other African countries in the areas of […]

In a major step toward closing Africa’s growing AI and data skills gap, TechNovelle, a platform co-founded by cybersecurity and AI product expert Rianat Abbas, has announced a new partnership with global learning platform DataCamp.

The initiative aims to upskill hundreds of learners across Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and other African countries in the areas of data science, machine learning, and responsible AI development.

“We’re not just training people to use AI tools. We’re teaching them to build, question, and govern these systems. Because inclusion without capability is performative. Real equity demands readiness,” said Abbas.

Together, Abbas and her team have launched a bold initiative to equip at least 100 individuals across underserved communities in Africa with practical, job-ready AI skills with a focus on accessibility, ethics, and inclusive technology.

She continued: “The AI revolution can’t be one-sided. We need to prepare the next generation of African talent to not just use AI, but build with it, question it, and shape it.”

For Abbas, this partnership is more than a training opportunity; it’s a strategic investment in the continent’s digital future.

As co-founder of TechNovelle, she has long focused on building learning pathways and safe innovation spaces for professionals across the Global South, especially women and young tech talent from underrepresented regions. But her influence doesn’t stop there.

“We cannot build secure and trustworthy AI systems without investing in the people who will design and maintain them,” Abbas said. “At TechNovelle, we’ve always believed that access to high-quality, context-aware education is the first layer of cybersecurity and the foundation of responsible innovation.”

A 2023 UNESCO report found that less than one percent of the world’s AI talent is based on the continent, even as Africa’s youth population is expected to double by 2050. That disconnect has real consequences, not just for economic development, but for the shaping of policy, systems, and norms in the AI era.

“Africa does not have a talent deficit. It has a scaffolding deficit. When you give people the tools, the networks, and the trust to lead, they do. We’ve seen it again and again,” she said.

This first phase of the program is already underway, but the ambitions stretch far beyond. Abbas and her team are mapping out a continent-wide rollout that includes micro-scholarships, portfolio-based certification, and community AI labs where learners can document the questions they’re asking, not just the code they’re writing.

She envisions a network of thousands of AI learners trained not just to perform, but to participate, govern, and lead.

“The world is watching Africa’s tech scene grow, but if we want that growth to be sustainable, we need to invest in the builders,” she said. “That’s what this partnership is about: giving people the tools, training, and mindset to lead not just locally, but globally.”