The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has launched the AI Campus Network, a pan-African initiative aimed at training 10,000 young people in artificial intelligence, digital technology, and media innovation by 2030.

In a statement on Saturday, CJID said the University of Lagos will serve as the inaugural host institution for the initiative, in collaboration with the institution’s Google Developers Groups on Campus (GDGoC).

The centre said the programme is designed to equip a new generation of African creators, coders, and tech leaders with industry-relevant skills and real-world experience.

The initiative, it said, will feature coding bootcamps tailored for secondary school students, university undergraduates, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, and young professionals.

CJID said the programme will offer internship placements coordinated with partner organisations to bridge the gap between training and professional practice.

“The future of AI, digital technology, and media innovation is here,” said Akintunde Babatunde, executive director of CJID.

“We are repositioning young Africans to be not just users, but creators and leaders in the technology space. This is not just a skills-building project—it’s about transforming Africa’s role in the global tech ecosystem.”

He added that the AI Campus Network will prioritise inclusion, with a focus on participants from underrepresented communities, particularly young women.

“We are committed to ensuring that young people from diverse backgrounds have the tools, mentorship, and opportunities to shape the future of AI and media technology. We are not waiting for the future to happen—we are building it,” Babatunde said.

CJID said the AI Campus Network will be rolled out to other Nigerian universities before expanding into Ghana by the last quarter of 2025.

The long-term goal, it said, is to establish a network of learning hubs across Africa.

Since 2023, CJID has been at the forefront of artificial intelligence advocacy and innovation on the continent.

It developed DUBAWA AI, a tool that detects audio disinformation in three West African languages, and launched a multilingual chatbot that debunks disinformation in English and Arabic.

The organisation has also hosted two editions of its AI and Media Summit, supported the development of AI tools for newsrooms, and partnered with Nigeria’s federal government through the AI Collective—a consortium driving the implementation of the national AI strategy.

In November 2024, CJID collaborated with the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN) to integrate AI into higher education, training 41 lecturers from 21 universities.

The AI Campus Network, it said, represents a natural progression of its ongoing work to democratise access to technology across Africa.

[TheCable]