The Vice-President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima has inaugurated a pioneering initiative focused on training Nigerians in artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain technology, and other advanced fields. This program aims to equip 1,000 Nigerians annually with the skills necessary to thrive in the evolving tech landscape.
The federal government has collaborated with Gluwa, a technology company, to bring this ambitious project to life. The official launch took place on Tuesday at the Yakubu Gowon National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp in Fanisau, Jigawa state.
In his address, Vice-President Shettima urged the youth to fully engage with the initiative, highlighting Nigeria’s potential to lead in modern technologies. “It is important for the nation’s economic future. We are not merely catching up with the rest of the world; we are poised to overtake them,” Shettima asserted.
“This initiative offers its beneficiaries the chance to become part of a global workforce, driving innovation that will shape our future. We are adopting this initiative across the nation to create a network of tech hubs that will power Nigeria’s economic growth for decades to come,” he added.
Shettima praised the federal government’s partnership with Gluwa, noting that it aligns seamlessly with President Bola Tinubu’s digital technology revolution agenda.
Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa, also present at the event, described the initiative as a “rare opportunity” for the state’s youth. He encouraged them to take full advantage of the program.
“The state is blessed with hundreds of thousands of ICT-savvy and qualified youths in various fields of information and communication technology. This is courtesy of our very reputable Informatics Institute established more than two decades ago.” Governor Namadi stated.
Earlier this year, Gluwa signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Central Bank of Nigeria to promote the adoption of the eNaira, Nigeria’s central bank digital currency (CBDC).
Despite its launch in late 2021, the eNaira had not met expectations, with less than 1% of Nigerians with bank accounts holding eNaira wallets by mid-2023, and less than 1.5% of these wallet holders using their accounts weekly.
As part of the collaboration, Gluwa plans to develop credit profiles for the eNaira CBDC. Gluwa uses its Credal technology to create “credit reputations” for users traditionally excluded from the financial system. The profiles are portable and accessible across the border thus advancing the usefulness of the CBDC.
Per Gluwa, “The integration of Credal is anticipated to streamline loan origination, management, settlement, and credit assessment processes for local fintech lenders.”
In 2022, Gluwa partnered with the Lagos State government to tokenize agricultural assets, contributing to economic development in the region.
And in April 2023, Gluwa offered advisory services to the Nigerian government on cryptocurrency policy, amidst ongoing tensions between the government and cryptocurrency exchanges.
