Meta, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, has launched the AI Academy Nigeria, an initiative designed to strengthen artificial intelligence skills and accelerate the development of locally built AI solutions.
The programme, announced in a statement on Monday, is being implemented through the ministry’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme and the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), in collaboration with Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Nigeria (RAIN).
The academy will provide developers, entrepreneurs, students and young professionals with practical training in artificial intelligence, while giving early-stage startups access to technical support, mentorship and funding opportunities.
A key component of the initiative is an AI Startup Pitchathon, which will give Nigerian startups developing solutions with Meta’s AI technologies an opportunity to showcase products designed to address real-world challenges.
The two top-performing startups will each receive $5,000 in equity-free funding and $2,000 worth of Meta advertising credits. The winners 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, 2026.
Applications for the pitchathon are expected to close on August 21, after which 10 startups will be selected to pitch their solutions at GITEX Nigeria on September 3.
Beyond the pitchathon, the AI Academy will operate across three major tracks: AI Skills Development, the AI Startup Pitchathon and a six-week Developer Bootcamp.
The programme is designed to move participants beyond learning basic AI concepts and equip them with the practical knowledge required to develop products and solutions capable of being deployed in real-world and commercial environments.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, said the partnership would strengthen Nigeria’s pool of technology talent while creating opportunities for the emergence of globally competitive startups.
“Through this partnership, we are equipping developers, entrepreneurs, and young professionals with practical AI skills while creating pathways for innovation and globally competitive startups,” Tijani said.
He said the initiative reflected the Federal Government’s commitment to developing Nigeria’s AI ecosystem through collaboration with the private sector and strengthening the country’s position in Africa’s rapidly expanding digital economy.
Sade Dada, Head of Public Policy, Anglophone West Africa at Meta, said Nigeria already possessed a strong pool of AI talent but required greater access to practical training, funding and platforms capable of helping innovators turn ideas into market-ready products.
“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,” Dada said.
She said the academy would help equip more Nigerians with AI skills while supporting promising startups in moving beyond the domestic market to compete across regional and global technology ecosystems.
The founder and Chief Executive Officer of RAIN, Dr Olushola Ayoola, said the initiative demonstrated the importance of collaboration between government, technology companies and local innovation organisations in developing Nigeria’s artificial intelligence capacity.
The launch comes as AI adoption continues to expand across Nigeria, with businesses, entrepreneurs and government institutions increasingly exploring artificial intelligence for productivity, service delivery and new commercial opportunities.
The Federal Government and Meta have previously collaborated on AI-related initiatives. In May, they launched GovGuide Nigeria, an AI-powered multilingual chatbot designed to help Nigerians access information about government services. The platform uses Meta’s open-source AI models and supports English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.
Meta has also partnered with the Nigerian government through the Llama Impact Accelerator, which focused on supporting early-stage startups developing AI solutions to address challenges in sectors including agriculture, healthcare and security.
The AI Academy represents another stage in Nigeria’s efforts to develop a stronger domestic AI ecosystem, with the emphasis increasingly shifting from simply teaching people how to use artificial intelligence to enabling them to build businesses and practical solutions around the technology.
For Nigerian startups, the initiative offers more than financial support. Participants will have access to technical training, mentorship, exposure and opportunities to connect with the wider international technology ecosystem.
The programme could also help tackle a major challenge facing Nigeria’s emerging AI sector: the gap between the growing number of people acquiring AI skills and the availability of funding, technical support and platforms to transform those skills into commercially viable products.
With the two winning startups set to receive a combined $10,000 in equity-free funding and $4,000 in advertising credits, the initiative provides participating founders with an opportunity to test their solutions, increase their visibility and potentially take their businesses closer to regional and international markets.
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape industries and economies globally, the partnership between Meta and the Federal Government could provide an important platform for Nigeria to develop home-grown AI talent, foster innovation and strengthen its competitiveness in Africa’s digital economy.
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