Meta has partnered with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) and Robotics Artificial Intelligence Nigeria (RAIN) to expand access to artificial intelligence (AI) skills and promote innovation in Nigeria.
Meta’s Head of Public Policy, Anglophone West Africa, Sade Dada, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
Dada said the partnership with the ministry would be implemented through the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) Program and the National Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR).
She said the initiative, known as AI Academy Nigeria, would equip developers, entrepreneurs and young professionals with practical AI skills, funding opportunities and platforms to develop solutions to real-world challenges.
According to her, the academy would be delivered through three major streams: AI Skills Development, Startup Pitchathon and Developer Bootcamp.
Dada said the AI Skills Development program would be open to the 3MTT community nationwide, with courses covering generative AI fundamentals and application development using Meta’s AI models.
She listed the courses to include Building Generative AI Apps with Llama, Prompt Engineering with Llama 2 and 3, Introducing Multimodal Llama 3.2, Generative AI in Data Analytics, Generative AI in Social Media Marketing, and AI 101.
She said the courses would be offered free of charge through Coursera, DeepLearning.AI, and DataCamp, while the top 100 performers would be eligible for scholarships toward paid Meta Blueprint certifications and up to $5,000 in advertising credits.
On the Startup Pitchathon, Dada said the program would support early-stage Nigerian startups using Meta’s AI technologies to address real-world problems.
She said applications would close on Aug. 21, with 10 startups to be shortlisted to pitch at GITEX Nigeria on Sept. 3.
According to her, two winning startups would each receive $5,000 in cash funding, $2,000 in Meta advertising credits, and an all-expenses-paid opportunity to represent Nigeria at Meta’s AI Summit in Istanbul, Türkiye, on Nov. 23 and 24.
Dada said the six-week Developer Bootcamp would be delivered by RAIN for a selected cohort of developers and startups, focusing on hands-on AI development and the creation of functional, market-ready solutions.
She added that participants would receive 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 Nigerian developers, entrepreneurs and young professionals with practical AI skills while creating pathways for innovation and globally competitive startups.
Tijani said the initiative aligned with the government’s commitment to building a thriving AI ecosystem through strategic public-private partnerships.
Similarly, RAIN Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Olushola Ayoola, said strengthening Nigeria’s AI capacity required coordinated efforts among stakeholders.
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Ayoola said RAIN was proud to partner with Meta, FMCIDE and 3MTT to deliver a program demonstrating what could be achieved when stakeholders worked towards a shared objective.
The AI Academy Nigeria is a national capacity-building initiative designed to connect AI skills development with practical application and entrepreneurship.
NAN reports that applications for the Startup Pitchathon close on Aug. 21, 2026, with eligibility criteria and application details available on the AI Academy Nigeria platform.
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