Meta says it has partnered with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) and Robotics Artificial Intelligence Nigeria (RAIN) to expand access to artificial intelligence (AI) skills and promote innovation in Nigeria.
Meta’s Head of Public Policy for Anglophone West Africa, Sade Dada, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
She said the partnership with the ministry would be implemented through the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) Programme and the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR).
According to Dada, the initiative, known as AI Academy Nigeria, will equip developers, entrepreneurs and young professionals with practical AI skills, funding opportunities and platforms to create solutions to real-world challenges.
She said the programme would operate through three major areas: AI Skills Development, a Startup Pitchathon and a Developer Bootcamp.
Dada explained that the Startup Pitchathon would support early-stage Nigerian startups using Meta’s AI technologies to address real-world problems.
Applications for the pitchathon close on August 21, with 10 startups expected to be shortlisted to pitch at GITEX Nigeria on September 3.
The two winning startups will each receive $5,000 in cash and $2,000 worth of Meta advertising credits. They will also receive an all-expenses-paid opportunity to represent Nigeria at the AI Summit by Meta in Istanbul, Türkiye, on November 23 and 24.
The AI Skills Development stream will be available to members of the 3MTT community nationwide. Participants will receive training in generative AI fundamentals, application development, prompt engineering, data analytics and social media marketing.
The courses will be offered free of charge through Coursera, DeepLearning.AI and DataCamp.
Dada said the 100 best-performing participants would qualify for scholarships towards paid Meta Blueprint certifications and up to $5,000 in advertising credits.
Meanwhile, RAIN will oversee a six-week Developer Bootcamp for selected developers and startups. The programme will provide practical training, technical support and access to Meta’s AI experts to help participants develop functional and market-ready solutions.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, said the partnership would strengthen the practical AI capabilities of Nigerian developers, entrepreneurs and young professionals.
He added that the initiative would create opportunities for innovation and the development of globally competitive startups, while advancing Nigeria’s position in Africa’s digital economy.
RAIN Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Olushola Ayoola, said building Nigeria’s AI capacity required coordinated efforts among government, technology companies and other stakeholders.
He described AI Academy Nigeria as a national capacity-building initiative designed to connect AI education with practical application and entrepreneurship.
