Meta, FMCIDE, 3MTT and RAIN Partner to Accelerate AI Skills and Innovation in Nigeria
Meta, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy (FMCIDE), through its 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme and National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), alongside Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Nigeria (RAIN), announces the launch of AI Academy Nigeria, a national capacity-building initiative designed to strengthen Nigeria’s artificial intelligence talent and innovation ecosystem.
The partnership will provide Nigerian developers, startups, students and early-career professionals with access to practical AI learning, hands-on technical training and startup support, creating pathways for participants to move from learning AI concepts to building functional products and solutions.
AI Academy Nigeria will be delivered through three complementary streams: AI Skills Development, a Startup Pitchathon and an intensive Developer Bootcamp. Together, the tracks are designed to broaden access to foundational AI skills while providing more advanced opportunities for developers and founders already building AI-enabled solutions.
AI Startup Pitchathon
With applications closing on 21 August 2026, the Startup Pitchathon provides a platform for early-stage Nigerian startups leveraging Meta’s AI technologies to solve real-world problems. Following an open call, 10 startups will be shortlisted to pitch at GITEX Nigeria on 3 September 2026. Two winning startups will each receive $5,000 in cash funding and $2,000 in Meta advertising credits, alongside an all-expense-paid opportunity to represent Nigeria and pitch at the AI Summit by Meta in Istanbul, Türkiye, on 23–24 November 2026.
AI Skills Development Programmes
Open to the full 3MTT community across Nigeria, participants can access a curated set of courses covering generative AI fundamentals through to building applications with Meta’s AI models. Delivered in two formats- self-paced online modules that learners complete on their own schedule, and virtual instructor-led sessions, courses include topics such as:
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Building Generative AI Apps with Llama (Professional Certificate)
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Prompt Engineering with Llama 2 & 3
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Introducing Multimodal Llama 3.2
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Generative AI in Data Analytics
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Generative AI in Social Media Marketing
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AI 101 curriculum (developed by Startupbootcamp for Meta)
Delivered via Coursera, DeepLearning.AI and DataCamp at no cost to participants, the top 100 performers will be eligible for scholarships toward paid Meta Blueprint certifications and up to $5,000 in advertising credits.
Developer Bootcamp
An intensive six-week Developer Bootcamp delivered by RAIN for a selected cohort of developers and startups.. The programme focuses on hands-on AI development, with participants working towards building functional AI products and market-ready solutions with technical guidance and access to Meta’s network of AI experts.
“Through this partnership, we are equipping developers, entrepreneurs, and young professionals with practical AI skills while creating pathways for innovation and globally competitive startups. This initiative further reflects our commitment to building a thriving AI ecosystem through strategic public-private collaboration and positioning Nigeria as a leader in Africa’s digital economy,” said Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy.”
Commenting, Sade Dada, Head of Public Policy, Anglophone West Africa at Meta, said: “”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. AI Academy Nigeria was built to provide exactly that — equipping more Nigerians with the skills to build with AI, while giving the strongest ideas a route from home to a regional stage.””
Dr. Olushola Ayoola, Founder and CEO of RAIN, added: “Building Nigeria’s AI capacity requires the kind of coordinated effort we are seeing here. RAIN is proud to partner with Meta, FMCIDE and 3MTT to deliver a programme that reflects the scale of what is possible when the right partners align around a shared goal.”
The partnership reinforces 3MTT’s broader mandate to build Nigeria’s technical talent pipeline while connecting skills development to practical application, entrepreneurship and opportunities within the digital economy.
Applications for the Startup Pitchathon are open until 21 August 2026. Full eligibility criteria and programme application details are available at aiacademynigerialaunch.
