Google has announced a plan to invest $1 billion (about N410.82bn) over five years to support Africa’s digital transformation.
It marks the biggest investment by the US tech company in Africa.
The countries to benefit include Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.
One of the plans is a new underwater data cable for the continent.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Google and Alphabet, Sundar Pichai made the announcement on Wednesday at the first Google for Africa event, which was held virtually.
He said the investment will include the landing of the subsea cable Equiano which will enable faster internet speeds and lower connectivity costs.
The planned $1bn investment, according to Pichai, will enable affordable internet access and build helpful products as Google plans to build global infrastructure to help bring faster internet to more people and lower connectivity costs.
It also includes low-interest loans to support entrepreneurship, small businesses and equity investments in African start-ups.
Pichai said, “One thing we’ve seen is how technology can be a lifeline, whether you are a parent seeking information to keep your family healthy, a student learning virtually or an entrepreneur connecting with new customers and markets. Being helpful in these moments is at the core of our mission: to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.
“Expanding opportunity through technology is deeply personal to me. That’s because I grew up without much access to it. Every new technology — from the rotary phone to the television — changed my family’s life for the better. That’s why I’m a technology optimist. I believe in how people can harness it for good.
“I see so many examples across Africa today, whether it’s startups like Tambua Health that are using machine learning to help doctors diagnose and treat diseases, or entrepreneurs like Tunji, whom I had the chance to meet when I was in Lagos in 2017. His company, Gidi Mobile, is helping low-income students in Nigeria access online learning.
“Increasingly we are seeing innovation begin in Africa, and then spread throughout the world. For example, people in Africa were among the first to access the internet through a phone rather than a computer. And mobile money was ubiquitous in Kenya before it was adopted by the world.
“This momentum will only increase as 300 million people come online in Africa over the next five years. Many of them are young, creative and entrepreneurial, and they’re ready to drive new innovation and opportunity across the region.
“It’s been incredible to see the rapid pace of change in a short amount of time, and be a partner on that journey. Since we opened our first offices in Africa, we’ve enabled 100 million Africans to access the internet for the first time and empowered millions of businesses and creators with digital tools,” he said.
Google had since 2017 trained six million young Africans and businesses in digital skills with over 60 percent of participants experiencing growth in their career and/or businesses as a result.
It also supported more than 50 non-profits across Africa with over $16m of grants as well as enabled 100m more Africans to access internet services for the first time through Android.
Google’s managing director in sub-Saharan Africa Nitin Gajria said it would bring 20 times more network capacity than the last cable built to serve the continent.