African Continent Embarks on AI Education Enhancement with AltSchool's 'AI for 10 Million Africans' Program
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AltSchool Africa, a Nigerian edtech startup, has announced an ambitious initiative called "AI for 10M Africans" to provide AI education to millions across the continent. The goal is to mainstream AI education and prepare Africa's youth for the future workforce by training 10 million Africans in AI skills.
The initiative, designed for scalable and localized learning, adapts education systems with AI tools that offer personalised learning experiences, work in low-connectivity environments, and align curricula with current labor market demands. It focuses on sectors critical for Africa’s economy, such as Agritech, Renewable Energy, Fintech, and Healthtech, providing AI training tailored to job-ready skill development aligned with real-time industry needs.
The initiative offers foundational, advanced, and technical courses on AI-related topics. The program will start with foundational courses to help users understand AI and dispel common myths, followed by advanced and technical courses on topics like machine learning, data science, and AI engineering.
Adewale Yusuf, CEO of AltSchool Africa, stated that the initiative is more than just an educational program, it is a movement to create opportunities and close the knowledge gap. He emphasized the need to ensure Africans are not left behind in the AI revolution and that more effort is needed to help Africans recognize how to leverage AI.
"Campus by AltSchool", part of the ongoing initiatives by AltSchool, is a hybrid learning offering designed to enhance course completion rates and provide an immersive learning experience. The physical classes for "Campus by AltSchool" will begin at two locations in Lagos, with Kigali identified as another potential hub.
The courses offered under the "AI for 10M Africans" initiative will be available in various languages, including Swahili, French, Portuguese, Arabic, and Hausa, to make the program accessible to as many Africans as possible. Technical-level courses in the program will have a fee, but AltSchool acknowledges that the success of the initiative depends on collaboration with organisations, government bodies, and industry leaders.
AltSchool is forging scholarship partnerships with organisations like Binance and Bybit to make its programs accessible to individuals who may not have the financial means. Foluso Folorunso, Senior Product Designer at AltSchool, explained that the initiative aims to position Africa as more than just a consumer of AI products, but as a contributor to the global AI landscape.
The rollout of "Campus by AltSchool" is scheduled for Q2 2025. Yusuf stated that the world is evolving every day, and AI is transforming industries, yet Africa remains largely absent from this transformation. He emphasised that the initiative aims to encourage widespread adoption of AI education across the African continent.
- In the pursuit of equipping Africa's workforce for the future, AltSchool Africa, through their program "AI for 10M Africans," intends to venture into technology education, focusing on essential sectors such as Agritech, Renewable Energy, Fintech, and Healthtech, to provide AI training tailored for job-ready skill development.
- As part of their commitment to education-and-self-development initiatives, AltSchool Africa is establishing partnerships with organizations like Binance and Bybit, offering scholarships to make AI education accessible to individuals who may not have the financial means, with the ultimate goal of positioning Africa as a contributor to the global AI landscape.
