For AI Academies and Universities Teaching AI
With a Focus on Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Week ending Saturday 24 October 2026 | Published by WAAA | www.waaa.academy
Webinar and Podcast Update
As indicated in a previous newsletter, we have discontinued our twice-monthly webinars. Articles on the most important and urgent issues are available on Alan Ross's LinkedIn profile, and videos are available on our YouTube channel @AIGrandad999.alanross and on our 10 language channels (e.g. Spanish, French, Hindi, Swahili, Arabic, Bangla, Chinese, Russian, Serbian ,Indonesian, ]where there are now over 25 long and 12 short videos on each channel covering the AI and technology disruptions that will affect your country. We encourage you to view and share these with your networks and to ask them to subscribe so they are notified whenever a new video is uploaded.
We have now signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the prestigious Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Development (CAISD), based in South Africa, which applies artificial intelligence to sustainable development in Africa. Its work spans agriculture, mining, governance, environment and healthcare, and it works with a consortium of African partner universities and international partners. We have agreed to cooperate so we can extend our activities across the 54 African nations while continuing to support and inform other regions across the Global South. Check out the link below, which shows the recent audio podcast and AFRICAST video podcast that we have done through CAISD.
CAISD podcasts and videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9m_MM9O0Mkzw0cKXcswaxw
The audio podcast outlines how countries can fund AI adoption, and the in-depth video interview podcasts are wide-ranging, covering important issues of relevance to all countries. Discussions are ongoing, but it is likely that we will do one podcast each month focused on the 54 African countries and one each month for a global audience covering Asia, Africa and Latin America, as well as audio podcasts on various topics. The topics and issues discussed, whether in the African podcast or the global podcast, will be relevant for all countries in the Global South
This Week's Key Developments
A regional sweep of the week from Sunday 18 October to Saturday 24 October 2026, with developments from Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean, plus one global story with strong Global South relevance. Key points only below; follow the source links for the full story.
AFRICA
1. NIGERIA PROPOSES POOLING AI COMPUTING POWER WITH RWANDA, SENEGAL AND KENYA
Speaking at the BUILD 2026 conference in Abuja on Wednesday 21 October, Communications Minister Bosun Tijani (represented by Dr Olubunmi Ajala, National Director of the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics) proposed that Nigeria link its graphics processing units (GPUs) with computing infrastructure in Rwanda, Senegal and Kenya, so researchers and developers can pool resources to build large language models and other advanced AI systems.
Nigeria is also working on a proposed regional data park with Togo to make use of available electricity capacity. Dr Ajala said about 20 million Nigerians remain unconnected and that a fibre initiative is under way to expand broadband.
Keynote speaker Melanie Hui, Chief Executive Officer of Luminate, said Nigeria's dependence on foreign cloud infrastructure costs the country an estimated US$850 million a year.
Why this matters for WAAA members: Shared regional computing could give university researchers and students access to GPUs that no single institution could buy. Academies in Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Kenya should ask to be included as users from the start.
Source: Business Post Nigeria, 22 Oct 2026; iAfrica, 23 Oct 2026
2. GHANA TARGETS FIRST PHASE OF A NATIONAL AI COMPUTING FACILITY WITHIN 24 MONTHS
Ghana's Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, told the JoyNews Digital Economy Forum on Wednesday 21 October that the government is going through procurement with the Public Procurement Authority for a data centre and computing infrastructure.
He said the first phase should be completed within 24 months, giving researchers, universities and industry, who currently buy computing capacity from outside the country, access to national computing infrastructure.
The minister cautioned that the facility is a first step rather than a complete solution, and that further investment will be needed.
Why this matters for WAAA members: Universities are named as intended users. Ghanaian academies should prepare research and training plans now so they are ready to use the facility as soon as phase one is complete.
Source: GBC Ghana, 22 Oct 2026
3. NIGERIA AND THE UK TRAIN OFFICIALS IN INTERNATIONAL AI STANDARDS
The British Standards Institution (BSI) and Nigeria's National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics delivered a four-day executive programme on AI governance and standards for senior officials, regulators and practitioners, under the UK Government's Digital Access Programme (reported 22 October).
Participants worked with ISO/IEC 42001, which sets requirements for AI management systems, and ISO/IEC 23894, which gives guidance on managing AI risks. The collaboration involves NITDA, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission and the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.
Dr Olubunmi Ajala called for a permanent cross-government community of practice on AI governance.
Why this matters for WAAA members: Practical courses on AI management and risk standards are scarce in most developing countries. Academies can add ISO/IEC 42001 and AI risk management modules for public servants and company staff.
Source: BusinessDay, 22 Oct 2026
4. AI MICRO-CREDENTIAL ENROLMENTS NEARLY DOUBLE IN NIGERIA AND GHANA
Country data from Coursera's Global Skills Report 2026, released for Africa on 19 October, show enrolments in AI micro-credentials rose by 93% in Nigeria and 95% in Ghana compared with the previous year.
Globally, the report found AI micro-credential enrolments grew by 122% year on year, and learners on Coursera and Udemy combined are now enrolling in generative AI content at more than 45 enrolments per minute.
The figures reflect learner demand on one platform rather than job placements.
Why this matters for WAAA members: Learners clearly want short, certified AI courses. Academies can offer stackable AI micro-credentials, on their own or with global platforms, and link them to real local job and business opportunities.
Source: Innovation Village, 21 Oct 2026; Coursera Global Skills Report 2026
ASIA
1. PAKISTAN PRESENTS ITS DIGITAL AND AI COMPACT ROADMAP AT THE SEOUL SUMMIT
Pakistan's IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja addressed the Global AI and Digital Summit in Seoul on 19 October under the title "Digital and AI Compacts: From Ambition to Action". Before the visit, the government said Pakistan was set to become the first country to sign the Digital and AI Compact.
She set out four lessons: one owner at the top (a National Digital Commission chaired by the Prime Minister and a National Digital Master Plan covering 12 priority sectors to 2035); inclusive digital public infrastructure; rules for government's own use of AI (proposed labelling of AI content, a right to human review of AI-influenced decisions, and registration of government AI systems); and annual digital scorecards for every ministry.
She restated a US$1 billion commitment to AI through 2030, AI and digital training for 1 million non-IT professionals and 1,000 fully funded AI PhD scholarships, and said Pakistan will offer its national digital stack free of charge to other countries once completed. World Bank Vice President Ousmane Dione reaffirmed support for digital skills among Pakistani youth.
Why this matters for WAAA members: Training 1 million non-IT professionals and funding 1,000 AI PhDs needs many training partners. Pakistani academies should position themselves as delivery partners; academies elsewhere can propose similar national programmes to their governments.
Source: APP, 19 Oct 2026; APP, 18 Oct 2026; Radio Pakistan, 21 Oct 2026
2. SRI LANKA LAUNCHES UNESCO'S AI READINESS ASSESSMENT
UNESCO and Sri Lanka's Ministry of Digital Economy have launched UNESCO's Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) on AI in Sri Lanka, one of the first countries to use the updated RAM 2.0 (announced 22 October).
A national steering committee co-chaired by Ministry Secretary Waruna Sri Dhanapala and UNESCO's Eunsong Kim is guiding the work, with LIRNEasia as implementation partner. Consultations are planned in Colombo, Jaffna, Kandy, Batticaloa and Galle.
UNESCO has deployed the RAM in more than 75 Member States and completed it in 60, including India, Bangladesh and the Maldives. The resulting report will feed into Sri Lanka's proposed national AI strategy.
Why this matters for WAAA members: Consultations are being held in five cities. Universities and academies should take part so that skills and education gaps are fully reflected in the final recommendations.
Source: UNESCO, 22 Oct 2026
3. AI STARTUPS ATTRACT HALF OF INDIA'S STARTUP FUNDING IN A QUIETER WEEK
Indian startups raised just over US$184 million across 17 deals between 19 and 23 October, down 22% on the previous week. AI startups raised the most, US$93.9 million across six deals (reported 24 October).
The largest was a US$48 million seed round for AI-powered marketing startup Different, led by General Catalyst. AuxoAI raised a US$20.7 million Series A led by NTTVC, Firstwork raised US$15 million, Hunar raised US$4.2 million led by Blume Ventures, and voice AI platform Karta AI raised US$3 million.
All six AI deals were classed as application-layer companies, building products on top of existing AI models.
Why this matters for WAAA members: Investors are backing companies that build practical applications on existing models. Graduates who can build such applications will be in strong demand, and academies should design courses around this skill.
Source: Inc42, 24 Oct 2026
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
1. LATIN AMERICAN AI INDEX 2026: STRATEGIES ARE IN PLACE, BUT BUDGETS AND ADOPTION LAG
ECLAC (CEPAL) and Chile's National Centre for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA) launched the fourth Latin American Artificial Intelligence Index (ILIA 2026) in Santiago on 20 October, covering 20 countries and 126 sub-indicators, with Trinidad and Tobago included for the first time.
Chile (71.4), Brazil (68.4) and Uruguay (67.0) lead as "pioneers", followed by Colombia, Costa Rica and Argentina among the "adopters". On average 9.1% of firms use AI (27.6% of large, 12.8% of medium and 6.8% of small firms), while 16.1% of people aged 15 to 64 actively use generative AI.
AI skills reach only 0.27% of the workforce registered on LinkedIn (0.17% among women). Brazil holds 87.7% of the region's GPUs. 85% of countries have a national AI strategy in force or in preparation, but only Brazil and Colombia have budgets assigned to them.
Why this matters for WAAA members: AI skills reach just 0.27% of the workforce (0.17% of women). That is a large, measurable gap that academies can help close, with particular attention to women.
Source: Mobile Time Latinoamérica, 20 Oct 2026; CENIA, 20 Oct 2026
2. PERU REQUIRES PUBLIC BODIES TO APPOINT AN AI OFFICER
Peru published Directive 002-2026-PCM/SGTD in the official gazette El Peruano on 21 October; it took effect on 22 October. It requires ministries, the Judiciary, Congress, public universities, larger public hospitals, regional governments and major municipalities to designate an Artificial Intelligence Officer.
Deadlines are 6 months for national bodies and public universities, 9 months for regional governments and 12 months for municipalities. Officers need at least a bachelor's degree, at least 40 academic hours of AI specialisation (waived for relevant master's degrees), and at least four years of general and three years of specific experience, including knowledge of the ISO/IEC 42001 standard.
Officers draft each institution's AI use policy and action plan, oversee risk and impact assessments and report regularly. The directive protects them from removal or sanction for the opinions and warnings they give.
Why this matters for WAAA members: Every officer needs at least 40 academic hours of AI specialisation, and hundreds of public bodies must appoint one within 6 to 12 months. That is immediate demand for accredited short courses in AI governance.
Source: LP Derecho, 22 Oct 2026
3. MEXICO TO USE AI TO TACKLE MEDICINE SHORTAGES IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS
President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Friday 23 October a new system that will use AI, digital inventory tools and optimisation models to track where purchased medicines are and get them to the hospitals that need them.
A new Advisory Council for the Digital Transformation of the Health Sector, made up of Mexican specialists in AI, engineering, computing and logistics, will design it. The network handles about 3,000 million units of medicines and supplies a year for more than 1,000 hospitals and almost 15,000 health centres.
First proposals are due in November 2026, with improvements starting in January 2027.
Why this matters for WAAA members: The project needs AI, operations research and logistics skills. Universities can contribute research, and academies can train health-sector staff to use the new tools.
Source: Alto Nivel, 24 Oct 2026
4. CHILE BRINGS IN EXPERIENCE AI, A FREE AI LITERACY PROGRAMME FOR TEACHERS
Experience AI, created by the Raspberry Pi Foundation and Google DeepMind and present in more than 180 countries, is coming to Chile through Fundación Kodea and IdeoDigital (announced 22 October).
Teachers get free, research-based lesson plans, presentations and practical challenges, plus free workshops covering everything from how algorithms and neural networks work to bias and ethics.
The launch takes place on Tuesday 27 October at Liceo Bicentenario Insuco N°2 in Santiago, with the backing of Chile's Ministry of Science.
Why this matters for WAAA members: Teachers can access free lesson plans and workshops. Academies can become local Experience AI partners or use the materials in their own teacher training.
Source: Publimetro Chile, 22 Oct 2026
GLOBAL
1. WORLD BANK LAUNCHES ITS FIRST DIGITAL STRATEGY AND A SHARED AI COMPUTE INITIATIVE FOR AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA
The World Bank Group launched its first digital strategy in Seoul on 20 October, with four priorities: expanding reliable connectivity, making devices and data more affordable, strengthening digital services and skills, and building readiness for AI, with an emphasis on task-specific "small AI".
The Bank notes that more than 2 billion people were offline in 2025, that only 23% of people in low-income countries use the internet compared with 94% in high-income countries, and that 1.2 billion young people will reach working age in developing countries over the next 10 to 15 years while about 420 million jobs are projected.
Alongside the strategy, it announced the AI Infrastructure and Readiness Initiative, giving governments shared, pay-as-you-go access to GPUs as an alternative to building standalone national data centres. It will start in Africa and Latin America, with Cassava Technologies and NVIDIA as knowledge partners. The first countries, total financing and start date have not yet been announced.
Why this matters for WAAA members: Digital skills linked to employment are one of the strategy's four priorities. Academies that train young people in practical "small AI" skills are natural delivery partners for the programmes that follow.
Source: World Bank press release (via Thailand Business News), 20 Oct 2026; TechTrendsKE, 20 Oct 2026; AF.net / Ecofin, 20 Oct 2026
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WAAA is building a global network of AI academies, universities and educators committed to sharing resources and jointly developing AI courses, with a particular focus on LMIC countries. We also lobby the UN, the World Bank and governments to implement national AI entrepreneurship training initiatives (NAETIs). Members receive this free weekly briefing, access to our podcasts with CAISD and our AI-agent developer and Global AI Advocates networks, and opportunities to participate in our in-country projects and initiatives currently under discussion. WAAA membership fees are very low, with further reductions for those in LMICs. WAAA membership starts from EUR 50/year, and there are significant discounts for those appointed as WAAA Country Coordinators, plus income-generating opportunities. We are now recruiting country coordinators . If interested go to our website to apply
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