Applications have opened for the 2026 edition of EkoAI Academy, a free artificial intelligence training programme targeting 10,000 young people across Lagos State.

The programme is designed to provide participants with practical AI skills that can support employment, career development, entrepreneurship and productivity.

EkoAI Academy is an initiative of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), delivered through Lagos Innovates in partnership with InnoPower.

The Academy is focused on making practical artificial intelligence skills accessible to young people across Lagos. Participants are not required to become programmers, as the training centres on using existing AI tools to improve productivity, employability and business performance.

One of the major areas covered is prompt engineering, which teaches participants how to communicate effectively with AI tools using everyday language to produce useful results for work, business and other practical activities.

Applicants can choose between two training tracks according to their career or business objectives.

The Job Seeker Track is intended for people seeking to strengthen their employability and career prospects. Training under this option will cover the use of AI to improve job applications, prepare professional documents, get ready for interviews, increase workplace productivity, develop digital capabilities and use AI effectively in professional environments.

The Entrepreneurship Track, meanwhile, is targeted at aspiring entrepreneurs and existing business owners who want to use AI to establish, manage or expand their businesses. Participants will learn practical applications of AI in business planning, understanding customers, marketing, content creation and communication, business operations, productivity and business growth.

Applicants are expected to select their preferred track during enrolment.

The Academy’s training is designed around practical AI skills that learners can apply immediately in their personal, professional and business activities. It will include prompt engineering alongside practical applications of AI for employment, entrepreneurship and productivity.

No programming or coding experience is required.

Successful participants will receive completely free AI skills training, practical knowledge for work and business, prompt engineering training and community-based instruction delivered by certified trainers. They will also receive a certificate from EkoAI Academy.

Other benefits include practical knowledge that can be applied immediately, AI skills for job applications and interview preparation, as well as skills applicable to business planning, marketing and operations.

Participants will also gain exposure to practical applications of artificial intelligence and may have a pathway into the wider Lagos Innovates and LSETF ecosystem of opportunities.

There are no programme fees.

To qualify as a learner, applicants must be between 18 and 40 years old, reside in Lagos State, have at least an SSCE, and have access to a smartphone or computer as well as the internet.

Applicants are not required to have coding experience, previous technology experience, an AI or computer science background, or a university degree.

The programme is open to job seekers, students and recent graduates, employees looking to improve their digital skills, entrepreneurs, small business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs, freelancers and anyone interested in acquiring practical AI skills.

EkoAI Academy begins at a non-technical level, making the programme accessible to people who have no previous experience with AI or coding.

The Academy will be delivered through 100 Certified Trainers. Eligible Lagos residents will first complete the online registration process, after which 100 Certified Trainers will be selected and given advanced training.

The certified trainers will then provide AI training to learners across Lagos through community-based sessions. Participants who complete the programme will move to the recognition and completion stage.

Each trainer is expected to guide approximately 100 learners, supporting the Academy’s target of reaching 10,000 young Lagosians.

Eligible applicants can submit their applications online through the official EkoAI Academy application portal:

https://ekoai-academy.lagosinnovates.ng/ekoai-academy

Source: msme Africa online.