Excellencies, partners, and innovators; good morning. 

We gather today at a defining moment for global development. The choices we make and actions we take now about artificial intelligence will determine whether this transformative technology becomes a force for shared prosperity or deepens the inequalities that already divide our world. 

The data is stark: AI could add $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030, yet only 10% of this benefit is projected to reach the Global South (excluding China). Today's AI landscape is marked by profound disparities—less than 2% of the world's data center capacity is in Africa, and only 5% of African AI innovators have access the compute power they need. 

But today, we choose a different path—one founded on equal partnership and mutual benefit. 

The AI Hub for Sustainable Development is the world's first comprehensive platform designed to accelerate AI-driven industrial development across Africa. This groundbreaking initiative demonstrates what becomes possible when we move beyond traditional development paradigms to embrace the true meaning of the word ‘partnership’ — where African innovators are not recipients of aid, but leaders in shaping cutting-edge solutions for the world.  

On behalf of UNDP, I want to express our deepest gratitude to the Government of Italy for its visionary leadership in co-creating the AI Hub for Sustainable Development. Italy's commitment to the Mattei Plan principles—moving beyond donor-recipient models to create equal partnerships—has made this historic moment possible.  

We also thank our private sector partners who have stepped forward not as vendors, but as collaborators and engines of Africa’s AI-driven growth.  

And we thank the African stakeholders across the continent whose extensive co-design efforts have ensured this initiative is by Africa, for Africa – and for the world.  

What we launch today is the first of its kind. 

We launch the AI Hub Platform to guide African innovators through personalized pathways to AI readiness. We launch the Compute Accelerator Programme, recognizing that innovation happens across a spectrum—supporting both ventures ready to scale immediately and those building toward that readiness. 

We launch the AI Infrastructure Builder Programme, targeting visionary African entrepreneurs developing the foundational systems that will power continental AI sovereignty—from essential infrastructure to digital platforms that serve African priorities. 

And we launch the Africa Green Compute Coalition, bringing together leading actors to tackle one of Africa's most critical challenges—democratizing access to compute resources. The Coalition's first market assessment, published today, provides actionable insights on Africa's compute landscape to guide strategic investment and development. 

Together, through the AI Hub, these initiatives create meaningful partnerships between African innovators and G7 and global partners, ensuring collaboration that serves African priorities while driving global innovation. 

The moment has arrived for Africa to lead, not follow, in the global AI revolution. We invite Africa's innovators to step forward as architects of solutions that will transform industries across the continent and beyond. 

The market assessment is published today. The programme applications are open today. The platform is live today. But the work is just beginning, and I look forward to working with all of you to shape an inclusive AI future. 

Thank you. Grazie mille.