HP and UpSkill Universe have launched a new initiative to equip 55,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria and South Africa with free, practical artificial intelligence (AI) skills.
The AI Skills for Business Programme, powered by HP LIFE, the HP Foundation’s free global training platform, aims to help small businesses move from AI awareness to practical adoption in areas including decision-making, customer service, risk management, reporting and operational efficiency.
The initiative comes as AI adoption among African SMEs remains relatively low. Nearly 70 per cent of SMEs are still at the early stages of AI maturity, while only 9 per cent have integrated AI into their daily operations, strategy and decision-making.
Gori Yahaya, Founder and CEO of UpSkill Universe, said the programme was designed to address the skills and confidence gap preventing many small businesses from benefiting from AI.
“Small businesses across Nigeria and South Africa already have the ambition to deploy AI in their day-to-day operations. What they lack is access to quality training tailored to their needs,” Yahaya said.
The programme builds on last year’s Skills for Business Programme, which reached more than 40,000 SMEs through a partnership involving HP, Google and UpSkill Universe.
Under the new initiative, 55,000 SMEs will be onboarded onto HP LIFE and encouraged to complete at least three AI-related courses. A further 5,000 businesses will participate in live, 90-minute virtual training sessions focused on applying AI to real-world business challenges.
Each participating SME will identify an AI tool to test in its business within 30 days.
The programme will also select 50 top-performing SMEs for an intensive Build Your Business with AI Bootcamp, featuring business audits, mentorship and 90-day AI implementation plans. HP employees will serve as mentors during the implementation phase.
Youth- and women-led businesses will receive priority access, with a target of 40 per cent participation.
Yesh Surjoodeen, Managing Director for Southern and Central Africa at HP, said the programme would help businesses turn technology into practical opportunities for growth.
“Business owners need the practical skills, confidence, and support to turn technology into opportunity,” he said.
Registration is now open, with live sessions beginning this month and the first bootcamp scheduled for January.
SMEs can register at life-global.org/go/upskill.
