A free Artificial Intelligence academy has been unveiled by the Federal government of Nigeria with the aim of placing Nigeria in the front run of the digital economy.
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, inaugurated the AI Academy on Thursday in Abuja.
He said the programme is set up in partnership with the Commonwealth Secretariat and Intel Corporation.
While emphasising that the online programme is free, the minister called on all Nigerians particularly students, youths and civil servants to avail themselves of the opportunity to be part of a movement that would redefine the future of the nation.
Registration opens
According to the Minister, registration for the free AI Academy opens from Thursday, December 19, 2024, and it is expected to close by January 30, 2025.
“I encourage you to visit our website at https://scienceandtech.gov.ng/academy and seize this chance to acquire cutting-edge AI skills.
“The AI Academy is not just a training platform but a transformative opportunity for Nigerians–students, youths and civil servants–to acquire critical skills in AI.
“In a world where AI is reshaping industries, solving complex problems and creating new economic frontiers, it is imperative that Nigeria not only keeps pace, but leads the charge,” the Minister stated.
What trainees stand to gain
The Minister said that the programme would provide participants with access to self-paced courses on AI fundamentals, ethics, tools and real-world applications.
He said that beyond learning the AI Technology, it offered opportunities to compete for AI ambassadorial roles and internships with Intel Corporation as well as ensuring hands-on global experience.
Nnaji said that the role of AI in nation-building could not be over emphasised as AI was no longer a distant concept.
He described it as a transformative tool that could drive progress in agriculture, healthcare, education, security and many other sectors.
“By equipping Nigerians with these skills, we are not just preparing individuals for jobs but creating a pipeline of innovators, problem-solvers and leaders who will shape Nigeria’s technological and economic destiny.
“Most importantly, AI will go a long way to help us develop innovative solutions for the unique challenges we face as a nation,” he said.
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Important things to know
Since the beginning of the President Bola Tinubu’s administration, there has been a lot of focus on AI spearheaded by the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani.
According to the Minister, all the efforts are geared towards positioning Nigeria as AI leader in Africa and ensuring that the country does not miss the benefits of the global AI revolution.
To that effect, the Communications Ministry recently released the country’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy document, which is currently being reviewed by MDAs. It will be adopted as a national policy to guide all government efforts in Al.
The government has also formed the Al Collective which will collaborate on research, projects of interest, hackathons, and seminars to develop an inclusive approach to Nigeria’s AI initiatives.
Aside from the AI Strategy, the Nigerian government recently launched its Large Language Model, which is expected to position the country as an AI leader in Africa.
According to the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, the LLM will be trained in 5 low-resource languages and accented English to ensure stronger language representation in existing datasets for the development of Artificial Intelligence solutions.
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