Editor’s note: African-Startups is a sister publication of EU-Startups, bringing trusted coverage of startups, venture capital, and innovation across Africa.
Meta has officially launched Meta’s AI Academy Nigeria, a national initiative created in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy (FMCIDE).
Managed through the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), and Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Nigeria (RAIN), the academy aims to accelerate artificial intelligence development across the country.
The initiative directly supports the 3MTT programme’s mission to build Nigeria’s technical talent backbone, powering the local digital economy while positioning the nation as a net exporter of tech talent.
As part of the rollout, fellows from the 3MTT programme who are actively building artificial intelligence solutions are invited to pitch their projects. Key incentives for participating startups include:
- The top 10 applicants will be selected to present their AI solutions live on stage at the upcoming GITEX Nigeria event.
- Two standout winners will each receive $5,000 in equity-free cash funding to scale their ventures.
- Winners will receive Meta Ad credits and an all-expenses-paid trip to Istanbul, Türkiye, to compete against startups from Africa, the Middle East, and Türkiye at the Meta AI Summit in November 2026.
The 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) program was launched by the Federal Ministry of Communications.
This initiative is part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda and focuses on building a skilled tech workforce to boost the digital economy.
Phase one began in December 2023, with 30,000 fellows selected from all 36 states and the FCT. These fellows participated in online courses and hands-on learning sessions, collaborating with over 120 organisations.
The second phase aims to train 270,000 technical talents in three groups of 60,000, 90,000, and 120,000. This phase will also involve many learning clusters, state governments, and other partners.
The programme focuses on twelve key technical skills:
1. AI / Machine Learning
2. Animation
3. Cloud Computing
4. UI/UX Design
5. Data Analysis & Visualisation
6. Data Science
7. DevOps
8. Game Development
9. Product Management
10. Quality Assurance
11. Software Development
12. Cybersecurity
Eligible applicants can submit their applications by the 21 August 2026 deadline through the official portal.
