Expert Urges Nigerian Youth to Embrace AI Tools to Remain Relevant, Competitive

Esther Oluku

The Chief AI Officer at Cihan Digital Academy, Dr Celestine Achi, has urged Nigerian youths to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) tools to remain relevant and competitive in a rapidly evolving global economy.

He made the submission on the sidelines of a two-day AI training facilitated by Cihan Digital Academy in partnership with SuccessGate Foundation, for the Youth Fellowship of Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church, Surulere Headquarters, in Lagos.

The training, which held on the 15th and 22nd of November 2025, brought together 130 youths. Achi stressed that AI tools can empower young people to build sustainable solutions for their communities which would culminate in self sufficiency and economic progress for the Nigerian society.

“AI and its adoption is unstoppable. It is either one adopts it or become totally obsolete. It becomes imperative that young people not only adapt to the use of AI, but also adopt it in their daily personal lives and work. AI is the skill set that can set them apart,” he said.

Achi, who is on a mission to empower 100,000 young Nigerians with AI powered digital skills, noted that the academy has already trained 5,633 youths in Lagos alone with future plans to expand training access to youths in other parts of the country. According to him, the Cihan team will be training youths in Abuja this week.

Speaking on his vision for digital literacy among young people, he said; “It is part of my own way of giving back to the society. I believe that the greatest impact I can make at this time is to train these youths on the right use of AI. Remember, AI can also be used for evil. So, before the evil will gets to them, let the good get to them.

“Many of the participants are building solutions that they never thought was possible and some of these solutions will definitely employ others. Imagine if we have more youths who are self-sufficient, who can build solutions, who can do things they never thought was possible with AI. Imagine how great Nigeria can be.”

The course content engaged participants to practical session on leveraging AI to develop websites, chatbot creation, data analytics and infographic tools, creating video explainers, podcasts, social media management and AI powered customer support amongst others.

Pastor of the Youth Fellowship, Apostle Kehinde Showemimo, explained that the church hopes to develop its youth population spiritually, morally, physically, and academically and the AI training aligns with it’s goal of equipping youths to succeed not just spiritually but in their areas of influence in the outside world.

As a church, Showemimo stated that “whatever has to do with training, education, improving the quality of life of the youth, bringing them to know the challenges of the world and how they can overcome them is welcome.”

By partnering with Cihan Digital Academy, he stated that the church hopes to encourage its youth to latch on the positive uses of AI to improve their quality of life.

Founder of SuccessGate Foundation, Prof. Abimbola Sowemimo, explained that the Foundation, in conjunction with the Career, Information Technology, Training and Development team of the church, has always sought to build its youth into total individuals and the partnership with Cihan was timely.

“Our belief is that these are tools that will help our people in their personal spaces to become entrepreneurs in businesses, even in their places of work. We are trying to expand their capacity, not just spiritually but also physically,” she said.

Meanwhile one of the participants at the event, Akinwande Eninlanioluwa, expressing her gratitude to Cihan Digital Academy, the foundation and the church for the opportunity said: “I am really grateful for this opportunity to learn and to grow. There are so many new things that I have learned that I definitely plan on applying as a student and even after my school days.

“The AI training in general has been really insightful and has made me think beyond areas that I thought I could. I would advise other institutions to take this training as well because AI is here to stay.”