Meta launches AI Academy Nigeria with FG, offers free AI training
By Aboki Forex —
Meta has partnered with the Federal Government to launch AI Academy Nigeria, a free programme designed to expand artificial intelligence skills and drive innovation across the country. The initiative will train developers, entrepreneurs, students and young professionals, including through a six-week developer bootcamp.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, said the partnership will help Nigerians develop relevant AI expertise and create pathways for globally competitive startups.
What the programme offers
AI Academy Nigeria will provide participants with technical training, practical learning opportunities and support for startups. Courses will be offered at no cost through self-paced online learning and virtual instructor-led classes hosted on Coursera, DeepLearning.AI and DataCamp.
Participants will receive training in developing generative AI applications with Llama, prompt engineering, multimodal Llama, generative AI for data analytics, and the use of generative AI in social media marketing.
Top performers get rewards
The top 100 participants will be eligible for scholarships for paid Meta Blueprint certifications. They will also qualify for up to $5,000 in advertising credits to support their businesses or digital ventures.
Tijani said: “Through this partnership, we are equipping developers, entrepreneurs, and young professionals with practical AI skills while creating pathways for innovation and globally competitive startups.”
Implementation and partners
The programme is being implemented through the ministry’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative and the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), in partnership with Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Nigeria (RAIN).
The academy will operate through three major areas: AI skills development, a startup pitchathon and a six-week developer bootcamp. Meta and the ministry had earlier launched the Llama Impact Accelerator initiative to enable the development of impactful AI solutions in Nigeria.
Tijani said the programme will strengthen Nigeria’s growing AI ecosystem by promoting collaboration between government and the private sector, while supporting the country’s ambition to become a leading digital economy in Africa.
In a related development, Google has announced that its premium AI subscription, Gemini AI Pro, will be available free for 12 months to university students across Africa. The offer is available to eligible students aged 18 and above in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
What it means for Nigerian businesses
The partnership is expected to deepen access to AI education and help more Nigerians acquire skills needed to participate in the country’s rapidly evolving digital economy. For businesses, more locally trained AI talent could lower the cost of hiring and support homegrown tech solutions competing on the global stage.