By Dare Akogun
The Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative has launched the SheBuilds AI Fellowship, a six-month programme designed to equip young women in Kaduna State with skills in artificial intelligence, data science and digital entrepreneurship.
The programme is funded by the Government of Canada through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives.
The launch, held at a press conference in Kaduna, also featured the presentation of a new issue brief by the organisation, titled, “Bridging the Gender Digital Divide: Artificial Intelligence as a Safe Driver of Economic Growth in Nigeria.”
In a statement made available to The PUNCH on Friday, the Global Director of BBYDI, Abideen Olasupo, said the fellowship attracted 473 applications, with 52 candidates shortlisted for interviews before 20 young women were selected for the pioneer cohort.
He said another cohort of 20 participants would subsequently be selected, bringing the number of direct beneficiaries to 40.
Olasupo said the number of applications demonstrated the strong interest of young women in Northern Nigeria in technology and challenged the perception that women in the region were not interested in digital skills.
“This number alone is evidence that demolishes a dangerous myth: the myth that young women in northern Nigeria are not interested in technology. They are interested. What they lack is not ambition; it is access,” he said.
According to the BBYDI director, the issue brief highlights the widening gender digital divide in Nigeria despite the rapid growth of the country’s digital economy.
He noted that the Information and Communications Technology sector contributed 11.31 per cent to Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product in the first quarter of 2026, but women remained 26 per cent less likely than men to use mobile internet.
Olasupo added that women accounted for fewer than one in five technology jobs in the country.
He warned that continued exclusion of women from the digital economy could undermine Nigeria’s economic growth.
“Analysts have warned that if this exclusion continues, Nigeria risks a gendered recession a future in which the sectors driving growth draw on only half the nation’s talent.
“Nigeria does not face a choice between growth and inclusion. It faces a choice between inclusive growth and diminished growth,” he said.
The BBYDI director also raised concerns over the safety of women and girls online, warning that the rapid development of artificial intelligence could create new forms of technology-facilitated abuse.
He stressed the need to ensure that efforts to increase women’s access to digital technology were matched by measures to protect them from online abuse.
“Digital inclusion that is not safe is not sustainable,” he said.
Under the fellowship, the selected participants will undergo six months of intensive training in Python programming, data analysis, machine learning, deep learning and generative artificial intelligence.
Olasupo said the fellows would also develop and pitch AI-powered solutions to challenges in sectors including healthcare, agriculture, education and governance.
He said the curriculum had been reviewed and validated by AI practitioners and industry experts to ensure that participants acquired practical and industry-relevant skills.
Beyond technical training, he said the programme would expose the participants to leadership development, communication, personal branding, CV writing and mental health support.
The fellows will also visit technology hubs and participate in a rotating “Class Governor” system designed to provide each participant with practical leadership experience.
Olasupo said the organisation and its partners would continue to support the fellows after graduation by connecting them with internship, employment and remote work opportunities in Nigeria and abroad.
He added that the beneficiaries would also be supported to participate in technology conferences, hackathons and national and international programmes aligned with their skills.
Meanwhile, the BBYDI issue brief called on the Federal Government and the Kaduna State Government to incorporate clear gender targets, dedicated funding and sex-disaggregated reporting into the implementation of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy and the Three Million Technical Talent programme.
The organisation also urged the National Assembly to strengthen laws addressing technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
It further called on technology companies to conduct regular audits of their algorithms for gender bias and establish measurable targets for the recruitment and retention of women.
BBYDI also appealed to parents, community and religious leaders to support girls’ participation in the digital economy.
“Every girl kept offline is a national asset kept idle,” the organisation said.
Olasupo expressed appreciation to the Government of Canada and the High Commission of Canada in Nigeria for funding the initiative.
He also commended the Yandytech Community and other technology stakeholders for supporting the fellowship and contributing to the growth of the technology ecosystem in Northern Nigeria.
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