Meta has partnered with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy to launch AI Academy Nigeria.
The programme is expected to expand artificial intelligence (AI) skills and innovation in the country.
Bosun Tijani, minister of communications, innovation and digital economy, said the partnership would equip Nigerians with practical AI skills and support innovation.
“Through this partnership, we are equipping developers, entrepreneurs, and young professionals with practical AI skills while creating pathways for innovation and globally competitive startups,” the minister was quoted as saying in a statement on Monday.
Tijani said the initiative would also contribute to building Nigeria’s AI ecosystem through public-private collaboration and positioning the country as a leader in Africa’s digital economy.
Meta said the academy will provide developers, startups, students, and early-career professionals with practical AI training, technical learning, and startup support.
The tech company said the programme is being delivered through the ministry’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme and National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), alongside Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Nigeria (RAIN).
According to Meta, AI Academy Nigeria will be delivered through three streams: AI skills development, a startup pitchathon and a six-week developer bootcamp.
Meta said the courses will include training on building generative AI applications with Llama, prompt engineering, multimodal Llama, generative AI in data analytics, and generative AI in social media marketing.
According to the company, the courses will be delivered through self-paced online modules and virtual instructor-led sessions via Coursera, DeepLearning.AI and DataCamp at no cost to participants.
Meta said the top 100 performers will be eligible for scholarships towards paid Meta Blueprint certifications and up to $5,000 in advertising credits.
Meta said its Startup Pitchathon will give early-stage Nigerian startups using its AI technologies an opportunity to showcase solutions to real-world problems.
The company said applications for the competition will close on August 21, after which 10 startups will be shortlisted to pitch at GITEX Nigeria on September 3.
Meta said two winning startups will each receive $5,000 in cash funding and $2,000 in advertising credits.
The winners are also expected to get an all-expenses-paid opportunity to represent Nigeria and pitch at Meta’s AI Summit in Istanbul, Türkiye, on November 23 and 24, the company said.
Sade Dada, Meta’s head of public policy for Anglophone West Africa, said the programme would give Nigerian founders and developers greater access to training, funding, and platforms to develop AI solutions.
“Nigeria is home to some of Africa’s most dynamic AI talent. What many founders and developers need is greater access to practical training, funding and platforms to build impactful solutions,” she said.
Dada said AI Academy Nigeria was designed to equip more Nigerians with the skills to build with AI while giving promising ideas an opportunity to progress from the local to the regional stage.
‘RAIN TO RUN SIX-WEEK DEVELOPER BOOTCAMP’
Meta said Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Nigeria (RAIN) will deliver an intensive six-week developer bootcamp for a selected cohort of developers and startups.
The company said participants will receive hands-on training focused on building functional AI products and market-ready solutions, with technical guidance and access to Meta’s network of AI experts.
Olushola Ayoola, founder and chief executive officer of RAIN, said coordinated efforts among stakeholders are important to building Nigeria’s AI capacity.
“Building Nigeria’s AI capacity requires the kind of coordinated effort we are seeing here. RAIN is proud to partner with Meta, FMCIDE and 3MTT to deliver a programme that reflects the scale of what is possible when the right partners align around a shared goal,” he said.
Meta said the partnership will connect AI skills development with practical applications, entrepreneurship, and opportunities in Nigeria’s digital economy.
