Google has launched a new initiative giving college and university students in Nigeria and seven other African countries a free one-year subscription to its AI Pro plan. This initiative is part of Google’s effort to support young people across the continent as they prepare for an increasingly AI-powered world.
Where It’s Available
The program is open to eligible students (aged 18 and over) in the following countries:
- Nigeria
- Ghana
- Kenya
- Egypt
- Morocco
- South Africa
- Rwanda
- Zimbabwe
What Students Will Get
Those who qualify will receive access to premium AI tools designed to help with academic work and research:
- Deep Research — custom research reports produced from hundreds of sources to aid study and thesis work
- Gemini 2.5 Pro — an advanced model geared towards helping with writing, assignments, essays, and other academic tasks
Why This Matters to you?
- Google sees this program as part of its broader investment to improve digital skills among young Africans and support the region’s growth in AI.
- Over the past four years, Google has committed more than US$17 million in funding, training, and support for African universities and research institutions. Another US$9 million is planned for the coming year to continue this momentum.
- Google also reports training over seven million people so far in digital skills, with a goal of training three million more by 2030.
Additional Infrastructure Plans
Beyond just subscriptions, Google is also working on expanding infrastructure to make digital tools more accessible:
- It plans to establish four new subsea cable hubs across Africa. These hubs will help improve internet connectivity in different regions and strengthen the digital backbone.
- Existing projects such as the Equiano cable (along Africa’s west coast) and the Umoja fibre route (linking East Africa) will tie into these new hubs to reduce latency, improve resilience, and support better bandwidth.
What Students Should Do
If you’re eligible, here are steps to take:
- Wait for announcements from Google or your school about eligibility and how to register.
- Confirm you meet any requirements (e.g. age, being enrolled at a recognized higher-education institution).
- Watch for instructions on how to activate the free AI Pro subscription.
- Use the subscription to help with research, essays, learning tools, and skill building, this is a chance to gain experience with advanced AI that many employers will value.
This is a major opportunity for students because it lowers the cost of accessing high level AI tools, while also pushing forward both education and connectivity in regions that need it.