As Africa’s largest economy with over 200 million people, a young population with a median age of 18.4 years (World Bank, 2022), a growing technology talent pool, and an active startup ecosystem (including 6 unicorns as of 2022 – CB Insights, 2022), Nigeria is poised to build on AI to accelerate economic prosperity.

GRANT CONDITIONS

1. The grant must be used for the proposed project only and in compliance with the approved budget. All grant recipients will be required to sign an agreement with the Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, outlining the terms and conditions of the grant.
2. Grant recipients must provide periodic progress updates and reports to the Ministry, as well as participate in knowledge-sharing activities that will be organised by the Ministry.
3. The grant recipients must acknowledge the support provided by the Ministry in all publications and public presentations related to the project.
4. The Ministry reserves the right to withdraw the grant if the project fails to meet the agreed-upon milestones and objectives.

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ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS

To be eligible for the 2023 NITDA AI Research Grant, you must have met the eligibility criteria below

• Consortium that includes a local startup or technology company, local academic researcher and where possible a foreign researcher.
• Must have a research proposal that aligns with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation priority areas.
• The applicant must have a detailed proposal outlining the project and its potential impact on the Nigerian economy.
• Must have a demonstrable track record of excellence in research or entrepreneurship.
• Must be able to publish at least one peer-reviewed article within one year of receiving the grant.

Grant applications will be reviewed by a panel of experts in AI. The selection criteria will include:

1. The quality and originality of the research proposal.
2. The applicant’s track record of excellence in research or entrepreneurship.
3. The alignment of the research with the Federal Nigerian Ministry of Communications
4. Innovation and Digital Economy’s AI priority areas in AI.
5. The feasibility of the project budget.

MERITS

• Up to N5,000,000 each for 45 successful AI researchers or start-ups in the following areas among others

DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS

• Successful grant recipients will be notified by December 15, 2023

PROCEDURES FOR APPLICATION

• The application procedure will open on October 13, 2023, and all eligible applicants can submit their proposals until the closing date of November 15, 2023.
• Applications must be submitted through the designated online portal hosted by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.
• The proposals will be evaluated by a panel of experts appointed by the Ministry.
• Shortlisted applicants will be notified via email and then invited for an interview with the panel.
• Final selection and announcement of grant recipients will be made based on the evaluations and recommendations of the panel.