Hope

Nigeria’s burgeoning technology sector is turning inward to develop the country’s first artificial intelligence, with local startup Awarri chosen to lead the project.
<a href="https://punchng.com/fg-unveils-first-ai-project-with-500-fellows/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">According</a> to local media, this ambitious project is not only a technological achievement but also a major employment opportunity. Awarri has recruited over 600 fellows from the federal government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) program to work as data collectors in developing a large language multilingual model (LLM).
<h3 data-ct-non-breakable="true" id="job-creation-in-tech-space">Job creation in tech space</h3>
In an X&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/bosuntijani/status/1816173216655655301" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">announcement</a>&nbsp;on July 24, Bosun Tijani, the minister of communications, innovation, and digital economy, emphasized the Nigerian government’s commitment to fostering job creation in the tech space and highlighted the rapid growth of the Awarri team. 
Tijani has also underscored the broader vision behind this initiative. As part of the <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/nigeria-3mtt-program-1m-applicants-ai-course">ongoing technical skills training</a>, the government has committed to facilitating jobs for the 3MTT fellows, which is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s promise to create a million tech jobs within the first two years of his administration. 
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 <img src="https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2024-07/c44aac48-0913-4648-bdfd-bbfeecdd902b.png" alt="Nigeria’s AI initiative sparks tech employment growth" title="">
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 Source: <a href="https://x.com/bosuntijani/status/1816173216655655301" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Bosun Tijani</a>
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The minister highlighted the successful placement of many fellows from the first cohort of the program into internship roles across the country. The 3MTT program is a cornerstone of the Nigerian president’s “Renewed Hope” agenda, which aims to build Nigeria’s technical talent backbone to power its digital economy. 
Related: <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/nigeria-ai-blockchain-research-centers">Nigeria plans nationwide AI and blockchain research centers</a>
The program started with 30,000 Nigerians, representing 1% of the three million target, and has now expanded to 270,000 participants in its second cohort. 
<h3 data-ct-non-breakable="true" id="awarri-s-contributions">Awarri’s contributions</h3>
Awarri, which began its journey with 120 AI jobs, has quickly established itself as a comprehensive technology company. It offers a full-stack service that includes data gathering, model creation and AI application development. The startup’s mission aligns with the Nigerian government’s broader goals to position the country as a significant player in the global AI landscape.
The LLM developed by Awarri is set to become a landmark in Nigeria’s AI capabilities. The project,<a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/nigeria-launches-first-multilingual-large-language-model-in-africa"> officially launched by Tijani</a> at the end of a four-day AI workshop in Abuja in April, is a collaborative effort involving Awarritech, DataDotOrg, the National Information Technology Development Agency and the National Centre for AI and Robotics. 
The LLM aims to enhance language representation in existing data sets by being trained in five low-resource languages and accented English, ensuring inclusivity and broad applicability.
Magazine: <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/magazine/?s=AI#:~:text=Features%20Longevity%20expert%3A%20AI%20will%20help%20us%20become%20%E2%80%98biologically%20immortal%E2%80%99%20from%202030">Longevity expert: AI will help us become ‘biologically immortal’ from 2030</a>

Nigeria’s AI initiative sparks tech employment growth

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