CIHAN Empowers 130 Lagos Teens with AI Skills

CIHAN Digital Academy has commenced its free Artificial Intelligence (AI) Education Empowerment Initiative with the training of more than 130 senior secondary school students in Lagos, as part of its plan to equip 50,000 African teenagers with practical AI skills annually.

The inaugural session of the programme was held at Reagan Memorial Baptist Girls’ Secondary School, Sabo-Yaba, and drew participation from SS3 students of CMS Grammar School, International School of Lagos, Baptist Girls’ Academy, and Baptist Academy.

The initiative, powered through CIHAN’s QuestAI Kids learning platform, provided hands-on lessons in foundational AI concepts, prompt engineering, and Computer-Based Test (CBT) readiness, in line with the planned transition of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to CBT format.

Chief Executive Officer of CIHAN Digital Academy, Dr. Celestine Achi, said the programme is designed to shift young people from being passive technology users to active creators capable of building AI-driven solutions.

“This initiative reflects our commitment to bridging the digital skills gap and positioning young Africans to compete globally,” he said. “The target of training 50,000 teens is ambitious, but the enthusiasm and potential displayed here today show that it is achievable.”

Achi added that the academy will expand the programme through school partnerships, community workshops and online engagement, with the goal of reaching its target by October 2026.

The Principal of Reagan Memorial Baptist Girls’ Secondary School, Mrs. Rachael Adeyinka, described the training as timely and relevant to evolving educational needs, noting that it would help prepare students for future opportunities.

Similarly, the school’s ICT Prefect, Angel Achi, who played a role in initiating the collaboration, expressed satisfaction that the project had moved from concept to reality. “This is a spark that will inspire new innovators and creators,” she said.

The Vice Principal, Mrs. Ruth Oke, added that exposing students to prompt engineering and logical reasoning would help them use AI responsibly while preserving critical thinking skills.

CIHAN Digital Academy said the initiative will continue in phases across Lagos and other states, with long-term plans to support students pursuing recognised global AI certifications.