Google Offers Free AI Pro Access to Nigerian Students and Others

Google has announced a new initiative to provide free one-year subscriptions to its AI Pro plan for students in Nigeria and seven other African countries, as part of its investment in digital transformation across the continent.

The program will target students aged 18 and above in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe. Beneficiaries will gain access to advanced AI tools such as Deep Research, which compiles reports from multiple sources, and Gemini 2.5 Pro, which supports academic writing and research.

According to Google, over seven million Africans have already received digital skills training through its programs, with plans to reach three million more by 2030. In the past four years, the company has provided over $17 million in funding, training, and AI model access to African universities, with another $9 million earmarked for the coming year.

Google also unveiled plans to establish four subsea cable hubs across Africa to improve internet connectivity. The hubs will complement existing projects such as the Equiano subsea cable along West Africa and the Umoja fiber route linking Kenya to Australia. The company estimates that the Equiano cable alone will add $11.1 billion to Nigeria’s GDP in 2025.

Google’s Managing Director for Africa, Alex Okosi, described the initiative as a unified investment in Africa’s future:

“Africa’s digital economy holds immense potential, and it will be driven by the talent and ingenuity of its next generation. Today’s announcements, spanning AI education, advanced tools for students, and expanded connectivity, are a unified investment into the upward trajectory of the continent,” he said.

Since committing $1 billion to Africa in 2021, Google says it has supported over 150 startups, expanded internet access to more than 100 million people, and facilitated fundraising of more than $300 million by African innovators.