The Aid for Rural Education Access Initiative (AREAi), partnering with the Raspberry Pi Foundation, is expanding artificial intelligence (AI) literacy among young people and educators across the underserved communities in northern Nigeria.

The partnership will see the implementation of Experience AI – a global AI literacy programme – across Adamawa, Borno and Benue states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in the first such large-scale rollout in the north.

Under the initiative, 450 educators will be trained as certified Experience AI facilitators and equipped to deliver AI lessons to an estimated 16,000 students and community beneficiaries across the participating states.

According to the organisations, the programme is designed to introduce learners to the fundamentals of AI, how AI systems work, the responsible use of the technology and practical applications for addressing real-world challenges in the beneficiary rural communities.

Global Executive Director of AREAi, Gideon Olanrewaju, said the partnership would help ensure that vulnerable populations, including refugees and displaced learners, are not excluded from the opportunities created by the AI revolution.

“This partnership is a testament to our resolve to enable access and opportunity for disadvantaged communities,” he said. “We can’t afford to leave behind refugee populations and displaced learners in this AI revolution.”

Olanrewaju added that the collaboration would go beyond teaching AI literacy to empowering young people to innovate, solve problems and contribute to positive change in their communities.

The partnership comes at a time when AI is increasingly influencing sectors like education, healthcare, agriculture, public services and the future of work, making foundational literacy an increasingly important skill.

However, access to quality technology education remains uneven, particularly in rural, conflict-affected and humanitarian communities.

According to the partners, the initiative is intended to address this disparity by expanding access to structured AI education and ensuring that geographical location does not determine young people’s ability to participate in the opportunities created by emerging technologies.

For the Chief Executive Officer of Raspberry Pi Foundation, Philip Colligan CBE, the collaboration with AREAi will help educators develop the confidence and skills required to teach AI, and ensure it is both engaging and relevant for their students.

He added that the partnership would support young Nigerians in developing a foundational understanding of AI and its potential role in their lives.

Also, the Head of Google DeepMind Impact Accelerator, Anna Koivuniemi, said the launch of Experience AI in Nigeria would provide more young people with opportunities to understand and engage with AI.

“As AI continues to shape our world, every young Nigerian must have the chance to learn more about and engage with this transformative technology,” Koivuniemi said.

She noted that greater access to AI education could help young people make informed decisions about AI applications in their daily lives while encouraging safe and responsible use of the technology.

Moreover, AREAi said the partnership aligns with its broader mission of expanding access to quality education among underserved populations, having implemented technology-enabled and offline learning solutions, particularly in rural and humanitarian communities across Africa, over the past decade.