Cihan Empowers Teenagers with AI Training

Cihan Digital Academy has graduated a new cohort of children and teenagers trained in artificial intelligence under its AI Mastery Certification programme.

The three-week training introduced participants, aged 8–18, to AI concepts and guided them to build tools for practical use. At the graduation and project showcase held on Saturday, participants demonstrated AI-powered solutions across education, housing, health, consumer markets, and environmental challenges.

Celestine Achi, Chief AI Officer at Cihan Digital Academy, said the programme is designed to equip young people with future-ready skills. “We have been training kids and teens on the concept of AI, and how to use AI to build real-life solutions,” he said. “Today is their graduation and the day they will showcase what they have been able to build.”

The showcase winners were Angel Achi (1st place), Achi Kairos (2nd place), and Chukwudifu Christopher (3rd place) in the 13–18 category, while Adeola Toluhi (1st place), Oluwadamilola Taiwo (2nd place), and Chizitaram Ikemsinachi (3rd place) emerged in the 8–12 category.

The first-place winners in both categories received iPads, the second-place winners received a carton of Indomie noodles and ₦50,000, while the third-place winners were awarded a carton of Indomie noodles and ₦30,000. All winners also received domain names and support to deploy their projects.

Achi added that selected projects will receive four weeks of follow-up support to build minimum viable products. “The tools they have built, they can turn into a SaaS platform and further monetise it,” he said.

Graduates received AIMCert™, a certificate recognised by ISO and the International University of Artificial Intelligence, Missouri. According to Achi, the certification counts as credits should graduates choose to further their studies at the institution in the United States.

Omoniyi Ibietan, Secretary General of the African Public Relations Association, who served as a judge, said the projects connected with pressing social needs. “Housing is an issue, education is an issue, consumer issues,” he said. “You saw somebody talk about a marketplace, another enabled people to source for accommodation or housing. Everyone is a winner.”

He explained that the students showed awareness of challenges facing society and applied technology to address them. “What is phenomenal to me is the kind of ideas they used to give expression to how to use modern technology,” he said. “There is a link between what is happening in the minds of the younger generation and the people in the larger society.” He added that the competition was tight. “When you see margins not in clear numbers but in decimals, that shows how competitive the process was,” he said.

Thelma Okoh, Registrar of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, said the panel judged both output and delivery. “We have to assess them based on their deliverables,” she said. She recalled that the students presented projects across sectors, including health, road safety, waste management, and skills. “I remember one project that could connect drivers to the nearest mechanic if their car broke down, another that tackled plastic pollution, which causes flooding, and others that focused on health and vocational training. Looking at what they’ve been able to come up with is mind-blowing because some of them are very young,” she said.

One of the winners, Angel Achi, developed an education app named StudyGeeX. She said the tool was motivated by her own exam challenges. “I want an app where I can just paste everything so they will understand everything,” She said.

She explained that the idea came from her struggle with revision during exams, and she wanted to create a tool that makes studying easier for other students. “Even if I get good grades, my mother always says I should do better. So, I thought of an app that can summarise and create flashcards for quick learning. I have already started using it, and it has helped me in preparing for my exams,” she said.

Achi called on policymakers to invest in early innovation. “The government should take the kids and teens seriously,” he said. “As far as this AI is concerned, they are the kings.”