LAGOS, NIGERIA – The Landmark Event Centre in Lagos was overwhelmed recently as more than 5,000 children, parents, and educators attended the inaugural Kids Tech Fest, Africa’s first large-scale AI summit for children. The turnout, which significantly surpassed initial expectations, signals a massive and potentially underserved market demand for youth-focused digital and AI literacy in Nigeria.
The event, convened by Digital Equity Africa, an organization focused on digital inclusion, was not just a conference but a strategic launchpad for two new edtech products: Bud AI, a child-safe AI learning companion, and the Future Minds Online AI Learning Community. This dual launch indicates a broader strategy to build an integrated ecosystem for AI education in Nigeria, targeting children from ages 6 to 17.
Justina Nnam Oha, CEO of Digital Equity Africa and the summit’s convener, framed the event as the beginning of a national and regional movement. “The vision for us is to raise the next generation of global AI innovators in Nigeria, and to scale this across the continent” she said, announcing plans to replicate the summit in every Nigerian state open to collaboration.
The summit tackled critical, often-overlooked aspects of AI education for children. Breakout sessions moved beyond the basics of how AI works to address complex topics like plagiarism in the age of generative AI, cyberbullying, and the fundamentals of ethical AI. A dedicated track for parents focused on digital safeguarding and the necessity of AI literacy, acknowledging that parental buy-in and understanding are crucial for adoption.
The launch of Bud AI, now open for waitlist sign-ups at budai.africa, is a key part of Digital Equity Africa’s strategy. The AI companion is designed with significant “guardrails,” including a parent-managed registration process and regular feedback loops on a child’s activity. This focus on parental oversight directly addresses the market’s primary concern regarding child safety on digital platforms.
The second product, the Future Minds Online AI Learning Community, aims to create a continuous learning environment where children can develop skills in using AI tools for education and creativity. This platform appears to be the long-term engagement strategy, intended to retain the community built by the physical event.
The event drew high-profile support, including a keynote from the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and sponsorship from major corporations like Samsung Nigeria and event production company Q21. Samsung’s presence, which included an experience centre and device giveaways, highlights a growing interest from global hardware players in capturing the African youth demographic.
The overwhelming attendance is a strong validation of Digital Equity Africa’s mission, it also presents significant logistical and operational challenges. Scaling a high-touch, content-rich event like Kids Tech Fest across Nigeria’s 36 states will require immense capital, robust partnerships, and a strategy that accounts for varying levels of digital infrastructure and local context.
The energy at the Lagos summit is an indication, Digital Equity Africa has tapped into a powerful current: Nigerian parents are actively seeking ways to prepare their children for an AI-driven future, and they are ready to invest their time and resources to do so.
