The Democratic Republic of Congo’s National Digital Plan 2026-2030 and first National AI Strategy (launched October 2025, active through 2026) include the formal establishment of a Congolese Academy of Artificial Intelligence. The Academy is designed to train next-generation AI specialists, support applied research and innovation, and facilitate development of local context-driven AI solutions for agriculture, mining, education, and healthcare sectors.
The plan commits to training 250,000 youth in AI, cybersecurity, and programming through government-backed programmes in collaboration with international partners (Cisco and Cybastion). The Academy represents institutional commitment to sustained AI talent development and represents a shift from donor-dependent ad-hoc initiatives to institutionalized infrastructure.
Scoring note: Dimensions 1 (AI literacy curriculum) and 5 (Dedicated funding) are impacted. Dimension 1 is supported by the Academy’s mandate to develop localized curricula; Dimension 5 is supported by the government’s $1.5 billion total investment commitment over five years, with $500 million in secured external financing, providing dedicated funding streams for AI training and infrastructure.