We caught up with Keyzom Ngodup Massally, Head of Digital and AI Programmes at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in-between G20 meetings, and spoke about her leading role in the conception and launch of the new AI Hub for Sustainable Development based in Rome, “designed to re-imagine global AI partnerships and power local ecosystems with Africa”.

The AI Hub saw its official opening on June 20th, attended by hundreds from more than 60 countries, including political and private sector leaders across G7, the EU, Italy and Africa.

Africa's AI Hub: Fostering innovation and prosperity

The AI Hub’s core mission is to “nurture a space where new ideas emerge and thrive”, enabling transformative AI solutions developed by African innovators and startups to receive integrated support within a global network.

The AI Hub aligns with Italy's Mattei Plan, “a priority of the Italian government’s foreign policy”, according to minister Adolfo Urso, drawing inspiration from historical equitable partnership models.

At its launch, a first wave of core initiatives was rolled out, including:

• The AI Hub platform: Designed to be a foundational and transformative tool for how the world engages with Africa in advancing AI.

• A compute accelerator program: This initiative will connect supply and demand readiness, offering integrated support and talent development. It aims to help African innovators access both cloud and on-premises computing resources, fostering the long-term development of a robust compute infrastructure market.

• The AI infrastructure builder program: Keyzom is particularly enthusiastic about this program, which will provide anchoring support from governments in Egypt, Kenya, Mozambique, and Ghana, coupled with financing. It seeks to establish mini data centers or edge computing innovations that will drive AI usage and adoption, directly addressing "first mile challenges" and supporting economic growth.

• The African Green Compute Coalition (AGCC): A collaboration between UNDP and core design partners – Alliance4AI, Axum, Kytabu, and Cineca – that will coordinate sustainable AI compute across Africa. The aim is to “mobilize hyperscale providers, development finance institutions, governments, and innovation ecosystems” to create a self-sufficient ecosystem in 2-3 years. The coalition frames this opportunity in an interim report titled “Unlocking Compute in Africa”, which was released during the AI Hub launch.

The opening also featured an exhibition of AI-generated artwork by Italian artists and artists from the 14 partner countries of the Italy-Africa Mattei Plan, showcasing their vision for Africa's industrial future powered by AI.

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Keyzom’s chief advisory role and daily work

As chief advisor on AI to Italy’s G7 Presidency in 2024, Keyzom, a refugee-turned-UNDP-leader, played a crucial role in shaping the AI Hub for Sustainable Development.

She steered G7 discussions toward a “global holding space” that empowered Africa, not as a passive recipient but as a partner in AI-driven prosperity.

“Countries naturally prioritize their own blocs,” Keyzom says. “My role was to speak from the ground within the G7 to spark something extraordinary, to reimagine partnerships with Africa, rooted in local demands and untapped opportunities, ensuring AI fosters shared growth that leaves no one behind.” Keyzom leaned in, leveraging UNDP’s field insights -- from rural outposts to capitals -- to strongly articulate Africa’s AI needs: compute, data, and talent.

Her daily work is a quest to pinpoint problems and forge coalitions. She directs technical expertise, knowledge, and funding. “Half the solution is unpacking the problem, then designing bold, out-of-the-box systems changes in small bites.”  

The hardest challenge isn’t strategy. “I reconnected with three core principles through this G7 journey: agency, choices, and dignity,” Keyzom reflects. Her refugee roots and early life hardships fuel her belief that “people make the difference”.

“The AI Hub is a quiet revolution with partners, the alchemists of progress. Built with grit and grounded in humility, the AI Hub puts people first, zeroing in on root causes rather than slapping solutions on symptoms. It’s a systems-thinking powerhouse, a global nexus that embraces the messy, iterative grind of making the world better through small, smart moves.”

Keyzom’s G7 journey mirrors her life’s arc: a quest for impact over legacy. Future reflections will unpack her strategic lessons from delivering theAI Hub for Sustainable Development and transforming UNDP’s global role.