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Earlier today, the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation &amp; Digital Economy (<a href="https://fmcide.gov.ng/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FMCIDE</a>) announced an N2.8bn AI fund to accelerate AI talent development across Nigeria. According to the ministry, the fund is part of Google.org’s broader <a href="https://technext24.com/2024/10/28/google-launches-5-8-million-ai-fund/">$5.8 million commitmen</a>t to support digital skills programs across Sub-Saharan Africa. 
This initiative aligns with a broader report highlighting the economic potential of AI in Nigeria. According to recent findings from Public First, Artificial Intelligence could add as much as $15 billion to Nigeria’s economy by 2030. 
By equipping local entrepreneurs and innovators with the tools, resources, and training needed to leverage AI, this initiative seeks to harness that potential, further reinforcing why this collaboration is vital for Nigeria’s digital future. 
It builds on <a href="http://Google.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google</a>’s N1.2 billion commitment to Nigeria, announced in 2023, aimed at empowering 20,000 Nigerians through digital skills and economic growth programs. 
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 Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani (IMG: US Mission Nigeria)
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Provided as a grant from Google.org to Data Science Nigeria, the fund is designed to bolster the Ministry’s ongoing AI skill development and education initiatives especially to upskill youth and under- and unemployed Nigerians. 
Ten (10) Nigerian startups have been selected as beneficiaries of the fund. Each will receive ₦100 million in funding, along with up to $3.5 million in Google Cloud Credits to help scale their solutions. Additionally, they will gain access to Google’s world-class AI tools, mentorship from Google’s AI experts, and opportunities to connect with a global network of innovators and partners. 
Read also: <a href="https://technext24.com/2024/10/31/ministry-google-announce-ai-2-8bn/">Ministry of Communications unveils N2.8bn Google fund to advance AI talent development in Nigeria</a> 
Below are the selected startups: 
BetaLife Health: a SaaS platform that leverages AI to predict demand and match blood types for Africa’s blood supply needs. It was founded by Mubarak Ayanniyi and Okwoli Mathew. Their platform uses predictive analytics to optimize blood inventory levels, distribution logistics and donor engagement, thereby improving the timeliness and availability of blood for transfusions. 
Bunce: an AI-driven platform that centralises and personalizes customer engagement for businesses. It enables businesses to send targeted emails, SMS, and push notifications based on user behaviour. 
CDIAL AI: a platform that enables seamless text-to-speech and speech-to-text AI functionality in 13 languages across underserved regions. Founded in 2021 by Yinka Iyinolakan, Soji Akinlabi, and Shona Olalere setting out on a mission to localize digital access and digitize Indigenous languages. CDIAL products include the Indigenous app on Play Store, enterprise API solutions for translation and speech recognition, and hardware systems supporting African languages. 
Farmspeak: a Nigerian agritech company that aims to revolutionise the agricultural sector by leveraging AI to support livestock farmers with disease detection and climate control. They empower farmers with climate-smart solutions, improve agricultural productivity, and enhance food security through the development and implementation of cutting-edge technological solutions. 
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Lendsqr: a lending platform intended for small and medium-sized lenders to provide and manage credit and their borrowers. It streamlines lending operations using AI, empowering global lenders and borrowers. 
ProDevs: Connects global companies with vetted African tech talent through AI-driven pre-classification and job matching. It also offers tailored recruitment, outstaffing, and team assembly solutions. 
Rana Energy: an AI-powered energy management optimising sustainable power for underserved users. Rana had previously participated in the Google for Startups and ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator programmes. 
SaaSPro Health: an AI-driven healthcare documentation that provides tailored tools for Nigerian doctors. It captures real-time speech recognition technology for medical conversation, analyzes the dialogue, extracts key clinical information, and provides comprehensive clinical notes integrated into existing EHR systems. 
Towntalk: a platform that. leverages AI to provide contextual security insights for African communities, empowering informed decision-making. Founded by Folake Edun (CEO), Oladisun Vera-Cruz (COO), and Dr Erinosho Tomiwa (CTO), it uses a range of in-house tools to gather location-based and behavioural data&nbsp;to protect businesses from risk. 
Trade Lenda: a startup that streamlines credit analysis for MSMEs using AI, facilitating access to financing. Founded by Adeshina Adewumi, Trade Lenda offers financial service solutions to MSMEs from access to credit to micro savings, Investment and Insurance.
The post <a href="https://technext24.com/2024/10/31/10-nigerian-startup-google-2-8bn-ai-fund/">Meet the 10 Nigerian startups selected for Google’s N2.8bn AI Fund</a> first appeared on <a href="https://technext24.com">Technext</a>.

Meet the 10 Nigerian startups selected for Google’s N2.8bn AI Fund

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