FATE Foundation and the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) will integrate an advanced AI curriculum into Nigerian universities to strengthen the country’s technical talent pipeline. At the same time, the African Technology Forum (ATF) is set to launch an innovation challenge that will support developers in building real-world AI solutions.
On the digital safety side, Junior Achievement Africa will broaden its online safety curriculum for young people, while the CyberSafe Foundation will focus on improving cybersecurity capacity across public institutions. According to the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, the initiative comes at a pivotal moment as Nigeria works to tap into the estimated $15 billion economic value that AI could add to its GDP by 2030.
He described the effort as a strong example of the private-sector collaboration needed to “nurture talent, strengthen infrastructure, and advance national AI priorities.”
The announcement builds on Google’s recent launch of the AI Skilling Blueprint for Africa, designed to help the continent narrow its growing skills gap. Google’s Director for West Africa, Olumide Balogun, noted that the company has spent the past decade investing in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem notably through the Equiano subsea cable and the 2023 Skills Sprint programme, which trained more than 20,000 people in digital and AI skills.
The latest commitment, he added, aims to ensure Nigerians can fully participate in the global AI economy while benefiting from a safer and more secure digital environment.