Federal Ministry of Communications Application for NITDA N5m AI Research Grant for Nigerians 2023

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming many industries and has enormous potential to spur job creation, economic growth, and social development.

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

• 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.
• 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.
• The grant recipients must acknowledge the support provided by the Ministry in all publications and public presentations related to the project.
• The Ministry reserves the right to withdraw the grant if the project fails to meet the agreed-upon milestones and objectives.

About National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)

In December 2019, a cluster of pneumonia cases from an unknown virus surfaced in Wuhan, China. Based on initial laboratory findings, the disease named Coronavirus disease 2019 (abbreviated as COVID-19), was described as an infectious disease that is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The COVID-19 outbreak has since spread to about 196 countries and territories in every continent and one international conveyance across the globe. While there are ongoing efforts to curtail the spread of infection which is almost entirely driven by human-to-human transmission, it has accou... read more

NITDA AI Research Grant

Aim and Benefits of NITDA AI Research Grant

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

Requirements for NITDA AI Research Grant Qualification

• 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.

Interview date, Process and Venue for NITDA AI Research Grant

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

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

Disbursement of Funds: 

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

Application Deadline

How to Apply

• The application process 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.

For more details, visit NITDA website