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AltSchool Plans To Offer AI Education In Various African Languages, Including Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba
AltSchool, a Nigerian-based edtech startup, has announced its plan to offer artificial intelligence (AI) education in various African languages, including languages such as Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, under the slogan AI for 10M Africans.
The program, which will begin on March 27, 2025 and cover all levels of education and learning from beginning to end, includes foundational courses to ensure that students understand the fundamentals of AI, including AI truths and misconceptions, and more advanced topics like machine learning, data science and artificial intelligence engineering.
Adewale Yusuf, CEO of AltSchool Africa, emphasized the importance of this initiative during a media conference. He stated, “This program is more than just an educational opportunity; it’s a movement to create opportunities and bridge the knowledge gap. We want to ensure that Africans are not left behind in the AI revolution”.
To make the courses accessible to a wider audience, AltSchool plans to offer them in multiple languages, including English, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Swahili, and indigenous African languages like Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba. This multi-lingual approach aims to break down language barriers and encourage participation from across the continent.
“As the world is changing so rapidly – AI is becoming more and more commonplace, and Africa needs to be at the forefront of that – we do not want Africa to just be a consumer of AI products”, said Foluso Folorunso, Senior Product Designer at AltSchool.
No, the foundational courses won’t be available free, and later technical-level courses will only be available for a cost — but AltSchool is already seeking partnerships with organizations, governments and industry to help support the project and make it more accessible.
As well as its Online lessons, the company will also be developing hybrid learning programs using a new product called “Campus by AltSchool”, the initiative aims to boost completion rates of the courses and offer students an experience in real life. The online classes are planned to commence with two locations in Lagos with other locations in Kampala and also Kigali in the coming months.
In a world in which AI skills are increasingly required on a global scale, the AltSchool initiative to offer AI courses in local African languages comes at a critical point. The startup hopes that by providing these courses in local languages, Africans will not only have access to a higher understanding of AI but also take an active part in shaping the future of technology in Africa.
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The idea comes at a time when there is a very real need for upskilling and training as some 5% of the youth in Africa have the wrong skills for the rapidly changing job market. AltSchool offers accessible AI education to prepare learners to be ready for good jobs in a fast changing world. This will focus on things like creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving.
As AltSchool has expanded its educational offerings, it has also been partnering with various companies such as Binance and Bybit, to reach out to those of us who might not have the means for paying for one of our courses. The accessibility aspect of the initiative, in combination with our focus on African languages, puts AltSchool at the forefront of the AI education revolution in Africa.
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