Lagos, Nigeria – June 2024
In April 2024, SiidAfrica Initiatives for Youth Development through support from Coappt Solutions launched idea to bridge the gap in AI knowledge among the youth of Nigeria. The vision was clear: to arm the next generation of talents in Nigeria with the competencies and knowledge necessary for harnessing AI for social good. The AI Revolution Youth Project was thus conceived to equip young Nigerians with AI expertise.
The pilot phase of the project was tagged the AI Revolution Student Program, which was launched across six prominent higher institutions in Lagos, Nigeria. The effort was initiated in partnership with American Corner Ikeja, Tech4Dev, Ayisat Ajoke Afolabi Foundation, and the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre to stir a passion in artificial intelligence amongst students.
The program gained rapid traction as applications for the AI Revolution Student Program opened, attracting over 1,000 responses within the first week while interest in the program soared, with 3,430 students in total expressing their eagerness to participate from the six selected institutions:
- Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH)
- University of Lagos (Unilag)
- Yaba College of Technology (YabaTech)
- Lagos State University (LASU) – Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), and
- Federal College of Education (FCE), Akoka.
A fast growing virtual community with over 2,000 members was also established for the students.
A Groundbreaking Initiative: AI Revolution Student Program
The AI Revolution Student program brought tremendous excitement to the hearts and minds of students within Lagos. Students attended a variety of activities, such as 3-hour workshops, an intensive 3-day boot camp, and a virtual mentorship community. These efforts have created a wave of sustainable engagement in building a strong talent pool in AI in Nigeria.
Workshop Highlights:
The program started with 3-hour workshops at four institutions: LASUSTECH, YabaTech, Unilag, and LASU. These workshops attracted over 600 students, thus putting them on a journey into the AI world. Core AI concepts were introduced to the students, hence sparking interest and excitement around the potential of the technology.
Highlights of the Bootcamp:
The climax of the program was the 3-day Intensive AI Bootcamp held at American Corner Ikeja, where 70 students were trained practically. That culminated in graduating 62 of the participating trainees now equipped with hands-on AI skills. The key areas handled at the boot camp included:
Introduction to AI by Samuel Odusanya, Co-founder & COO, Coappt Solutions.
Generative AI by Shalom Favour Bulus, a Cyber Defense Analyst.
Machine learning by Stephen Adikwu, Machine Learning/ AI Agent Developer, Practical Demos: OpenAI Playground, GPT API, and AI Chatbot Development by Samuel Odusanya and Stephen Adikwu.
Cybersecurity by Shalom Favour Bulus.
Prompt Engineering by G. O. Lawal, Co-founder & CEO, Coappt Solutions.
Sustainability by Shalom Favour Bulus.
Participants were divided into seven groups to develop solutions addressing the SDGs, resulting in innovative projects spanning human rights, environment, security, health, and education.
The graduation marked the beginning of a new chapter, as members of the seven groups advanced to the Coappt Incubation Program. Over six months, they will receive further training to bring their solutions to life, culminating in presentations at the Social Impact Tech Week in December 2024.
Graduation and Future Prospects:
The graduation ceremony was a critical program event, with some of the esteemed guests being:
Dr. Abiola Akiyode Afolabi: Founder, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre-WARDC, and Director, Human Rights Centre, University of Lagos, Lagos, who delivered a keynote address on “The Future of Social Impact in a Tech-Paced World.”
Mr. Akeem Aponmade, Esq.: President of the United States Government Exchange Alumni Association, USGEAA, Lagos.
Mrs. Foluke Ademokun: Executive Coordinator of Ayisat Ajoke Afolabi Foundation.
Amb. Mark Idiahi: The convener of the Future Leadership Conference and Founder, Second Chance Care Foundation.
The inspiring messages of these speakers further underscored the effect of the program in churning up AI awareness and engagement among young Nigerians.
At the graduation a discussion panel was held on the future of AI in Nigeria, which featured the presence of Stephen Adikwu and Samuel Odusanya, it was moderated by G.O. Lawal. Discussions included how prepared Nigeria is for the impending revolution in AI, how to ensure African culture will be preserved within an AI era, and finally, how to create bridges across this generational knowledge gap.
In his closing remark, G.O. Lawal closed by appreciating all the partners and student leaders, school authorities, and dedicated team for the nonce handling the program. He proudly declared ambitious plans for scaling the AI Revolution Youth project within Lagos local governments and the pilot to be leveraged as a stepping stone to placing other states, starting with Southwest Nigeria.
SiidAfrica Initiatives for Youth Development and Coappt Solutions acknowledge with gratitude the inestimable support of all the program partners: American Corner Ikeja, Tech4Dev, Ayisat Ajoke Afolabi Foundation, and WARDC. Special recognition is accorded to this dedicated program team: Ibrahim Temitope Khadijat, Programs Manager; Abimbola Lawal, Operations Manager; Bolu Oladele, Content Strategist; Muiz Bada, Program and IT Associate; and Mba Heritage for their time contributed to ensuring the success of this program
The AI Revolution Students Program has been a very large foundation in the area of AI education and youths empowerment in Nigeria. This program equips young Nigerians with various pivotal skills and knowledge, arouses interest in AI among them, and positions them as key players in the future of AI globally. This development sets Nigeria one step toward a future in which its youths will leverage AI to solve some of the critical problems affecting society and thereby drive national development and global innovation.
