How 22 young Nigerians are becoming AI innovators
Meet the school kids already building apps to solve real problems
When you think about artificial intelligence, children may not be your first thought, especially at the ages of eight and eighteen. That picture is, however, rapidly changing in the cities of Nigeria. Across the globe, tech firms and societies are chasing innovation.
And here, right in Nigeria, 22 bright Nigerian children have earned the Artificial Intelligence Master certification, a credential accredited by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the University of Missouri, USA, and they are ready to change how to solve real-life problems with AI.
The initiative was run by Cihan Digital Academy, which rolled out an immersive programme transforming young learners into prompt engineers, creators, and innovators. The academy’s Chief AI Officer, Dr Celestine Achi, explains that the children’s achievement is not just symbolic: “The certification came after weeks of immersive training which has shaped the children into AI prompt engineers, creators and innovators.”
Training took place across two age groups, eight to twelve and thirteen to eighteen, and culminated in a graduation ceremony that doubled as a pitch session. The audience was not a panel of stern judges only, but the future users of the children’s inventions. From each group, three winners emerged with prototypes for practical, tech-driven solutions.
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Innovation with real-world roots
Take, for instance, the senior-category winner: Angel Achi, founder of StudyGeex. Her product began with her own struggle. “The name of my app is StudyGeex. I remember that I have a subject I struggle with, and I know I can do better with the right support. So, I thought that if I could create an app that can summarize my notes, I would understand everything and I would not miss any point, and that is why I built it with StudyGeex.” Her creation summarises bulky study materials into digestible flashcards and a short notes tool that many students wish they had.
In the junior category, third-place winner Chizitaram Nlemadim, founder of Localestay, built an AI-assisted housing finder. “Localestay helps people find houses available for sale, rental homes, and hotels for vacation anywhere around the world. All one has to do is put in the location, and it generates home options.”
His idea marries AI with real-world need, directing people to housing options with ease.
Although these children are still calling themselves “kids with big ideas,” the academy has plans to transform those ideas into income. Mr Achi told the graduates that the academy will support them “over the next four weeks to get to a position where they can deploy, launch, and, of course, start earning money.”
More than technology: a plea for belief and support
Dr Achi did not just celebrate the children; she extended a challenge to leaders. “The government should take the kids seriously. Innovation starts with them, and as far as AI is concerned, they are the kings.” These words are a call to action: if we believe in the future, it is these young minds we must invest in.
Thelma Okoh, co-founder of Cihan Digital Academy, offered the graduates a piece of wisdom that captures the spirit of innovation: “One thing about AI is that it keeps evolving. It keeps evolving. During the course of the training, we spoke about AI not only being about automation but also about augmentation. It’s a collaboration. So my advice to the grandaunts is that they should keep building and evolving as the tools keep evolving.”
Why You Should Care
In a world where tech talent is often imported into elite circles, the emergence of young Nigerians trained in AI is a social and economic pivot. Nigeria’s youthful population is often discussed in the context of job scarcity, but here are 22 children harnessing the same systems to create, teach, and lead. Their innovations, whether in education or property, are directly rooted in local challenges.
By building context on why we need AI, how it is trained, and what happens when the next generation takes up the reins, this story invites Nigerians to rethink what progress looks like. The AI revolution, it turns out, may not come from Silicon Valley or government programs; it might just awaken in the curious minds of children.
