STEAM Africa Initiative Partners with Young People in Tech to Support Africa’s Largest AI Event of 2026

400 participants to receive free Cisco Networking Academy courses as part of The Artificial Future, Africa’s foremost AI workshop, hackathon, and conference

STEAM Africa Initiative has announced a partnership with Young People in Tech (YPIT) in support of The Artificial Future, Africa’s foremost AI workshop, hackathon, and conference, running from April 30 to June 13, 2026 in Lagos and online.

Under the partnership, STEAM Africa Initiative will sponsor 400 registered participants with access to free Cisco Networking Academy introductory courses, providing globally recognised digital skills certification to the next generation of African AI builders.

The initiative reflects STEAM Africa’s founding mission: ensuring that access to world-class digital education is not determined by geography or economic circumstance.

The Artificial Future, organised by YPIT, a global community focused on curating an accessible space for networking, growth, and impact for young people in tech, brings together 250 builders across 50 teams for a two-weekend AI Hackathon running from May 30 to June 6, with building taking place both in person and virtually, with access to a global pool of mentors.

The event is followed by a flagship conference at The Civic Centre, Lagos on June 13.

The hackathon challenges participants to build applied AI solutions across four tracks: Economic Access, Local Language and Culture, Education, and Healthcare, each addressing a critical gap in Africa’s technology landscape. Free webinars and workshops have been running since April 30.

Speaking on the partnership, Tiro Ovakporie, Founder and Executive Director of STEAM Africa Initiative, said: “Africa’s AI builders are already here. What they need is infrastructure around them, access to skills, to community, and to opportunity. The Artificial Future is building that infrastructure, and STEAM Africa is proud to contribute to it. Sponsoring 400 participants with Cisco Networking Academy courses is our way of ensuring that every young person who shows up to build leaves with something tangible and globally recognised.”

YPIT Founder Oluwatobi Aromire added: “The partnership with STEAM Africa Initiative is exactly the kind of support that makes The Artificial Future different. We are not just running an event, we are building a structured entry point for African AI talent. Having STEAM Africa provide Cisco Networking Academy access to 400 of our participants means that builders who come to hack also leave with a credential. That is how you build a pipeline.”

The Cisco Networking Academy, delivered through STEAM Africa’s established partnership with Cisco, offers industry-recognised certification pathways in networking, cybersecurity, and digital skills.

Since STEAM Africa’s founding in 2017, the organisation has equipped over 800 learners and trained more than 250 educators across Nigeria through partnerships with Cisco Networking Academy and Microsoft Philanthropies.

The Artificial Future is free to attend for hackathon participants.

The June 13 conference is open to founders, investors, engineers, researchers, and policymakers. Full details and registration are available at www.theartificialfuture.com.