Nigeria Launches Free AI Academy to Drive Digital Leadership

The Federal Government has launched a free Artificial Intelligence (AI) Academy to position Nigeria as a leader in the global digital economy.

Inaugurating the AI Academy on Thursday in Abuja, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, highlighted that the initiative is a collaboration between the Commonwealth Secretariat and Intel Corporation. He urged all Nigerians, particularly students, youths, and civil servants, to take advantage of the free online programme and join the movement to redefine the nation’s future.

According to the Minister, registration for the AI Academy opens on Thursday, 19 December 2024, and will close on 30 January 2025. He encouraged Nigerians to visit the programme’s website at https://scienceandtech.gov.ng/academy to enrol, emphasising the transformative potential of acquiring cutting-edge AI skills.

“The AI Academy is more than just a training platform; it is a gateway to equipping Nigerians—students, youths, and civil servants—with critical AI skills. In a world where AI is reshaping industries and solving complex problems, Nigeria must not only keep pace but lead the charge,” Nnaji stated.

What Participants Will Gain

The Minister outlined the programme’s benefits, including self-paced courses on AI fundamentals, ethics, tools, and real-world applications. Participants will also have opportunities to compete for AI ambassadorial roles, internships with Intel Corporation, and gain hands-on global experience.

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He further stressed the transformative role of AI, describing it as a vital tool for advancing agriculture, healthcare, education, security, and other sectors.

 “Equipping Nigerians with AI skills prepares individuals for jobs and fosters a pipeline of innovators and problem-solvers who will shape Nigeria’s technological and economic future. Most importantly, AI will help develop innovative solutions to the unique challenges we face as a nation,” he explained.

Ongoing National AI Efforts

The Minister commended the emphasis on AI under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, spearheaded by the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani. These efforts aim to position Nigeria as Africa’s AI leader and ensure the country reaps the benefits of the global AI revolution.

The Communications Ministry has recently released Nigeria’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy document, which is being reviewed by government agencies. Once finalised, it will serve as a national policy guiding AI development.

Additionally, the government has established the AI Collective to foster collaboration on research, hackathons, seminars, and other AI-related initiatives. The recent launch of Nigeria’s Large Language Model (LLM) further cements the country’s leadership in AI.

The LLM is designed to support five low-resource languages and accented English, enhancing language representation in existing datasets and driving AI innovation in Africa.