Meta, 3MTT, RAIN launch AI Academy Nigeria to boost AI skills

Meta has partnered with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE), through its 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme and the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), as well as Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Nigeria (RAIN), to launch AI Academy Nigeria.

The initiative is aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s artificial intelligence (AI) talent pipeline and innovation ecosystem.

The partnership will provide Nigerian developers, startups, students and early-career professionals with access to practical AI learning, technical training and startup support.

According to the partners, the programme is designed to enable participants progress from learning AI concepts to developing functional products and solutions.

AI Academy Nigeria will be delivered through three major components: AI Skills Development, an AI Startup Pitchathon and an intensive Developer Bootcamp.

The Startup Pitchathon is targeted at early-stage Nigerian startups using Meta’s AI technologies to develop solutions to real-world challenges.

Applications for the pitchathon close on Aug. 21, after which 10 startups will be shortlisted to pitch at GITEX Nigeria on Sept. 3.

The two winning startups will each receive 5,000 dollars in cash funding and 2,000 dollars in Meta advertising credits.

They will also receive an all-expenses-paid opportunity to represent Nigeria at the AI Summit by Meta in Istanbul, Türkiye, scheduled for Nov. 23 and Nov. 24.

The AI Skills Development component is open to members of the 3MTT community across Nigeria.

It will provide courses covering generative AI fundamentals and the development of applications using Meta’s AI models.

The courses will be delivered through self-paced online modules and virtual instructor-led sessions.

They will cover areas including building generative AI applications with Llama, prompt engineering, multimodal Llama, generative AI in data analytics and generative AI in social media marketing.

An AI 101 curriculum developed by Startupbootcamp for Meta is also included.

The courses will be offered at no cost through Coursera, DeepLearning.AI and DataCamp.

The top 100 performers will be eligible for scholarships towards paid Meta Blueprint certifications and up to 5,000 dollars in advertising credits.

The Developer Bootcamp, to be delivered by RAIN, will run for six weeks for a selected cohort of developers and startups.

Participants will receive hands-on training in AI development and work towards building functional AI products and market-ready solutions, with technical guidance and access to Meta’s network of AI experts.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, said the partnership would equip developers, entrepreneurs and young professionals with practical AI skills while creating pathways for innovation and globally competitive startups.

“This initiative further reflects our commitment to building a thriving AI ecosystem through strategic public-private collaboration and positioning Nigeria as a leader in Africa’s digital economy,” Tijani said.

Sade Dada, Head of Public Policy, Anglophone West Africa at Meta, said Nigeria had some of Africa’s most dynamic AI talent but required greater access to practical training, funding and platforms.

“AI Academy Nigeria was built to provide exactly that — equipping more Nigerians with the skills to build with AI, while giving the strongest ideas a route from home to a regional stage,” she said.

Dr Olushola Ayoola, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of RAIN, said building Nigeria’s AI capacity required coordinated efforts among relevant stakeholders.

Ayoola said RAIN was proud to partner with Meta, FMCIDE and 3MTT to deliver an initiative that demonstrated what could be achieved when organisations aligned around a common objective.

The partners said the initiative reinforced the broader mandate of 3MTT to build Nigeria’s technical talent pipeline while linking skills development with practical application, entrepreneurship and opportunities in the digital economy.

Applications for the Startup Pitchathon remain open until Aug. 21.