Fareed Ibrahim from Nigeria is the Executive Director and Founder of the Smart Aid Initiative. The program he has launched is the Education and Digital Skills Acquisition Program, which focuses on equipping young people, particularly girls and women, with digital skills, while addressing the dual challenges gender inequality and limited of access to digital education.

The program’s core objective is to ensure that girls have equal access to digital skills, education, and opportunities. Fareed’s current plan is to integrate artificial intelligence into the project. The program aims to teach young people how to use AI, equip them with foundational knowledge, and empower them to leverage AI technologies to achieve more.

Education and Digital Skills Acquisition Program

According to UNICEF 2023 data, 65% of girls in northern Nigeria are out of school and have no digital skills or knowledge. The program is dedicated to providing digital skills training and empowerment to women in underserved communities in northern Nigeria, enabling them to take control of their futures and thereby promoting community development and economic growth. The program focuses on providing digital skills training and enhancing the self-sufficiency of girls and women aged 15 to 30.

Its goal is to involve 1000 beneficiaries in the digital literacy campaign and select 150 of them for digital skills training. Currently,the program has carried out publicity activities on inclusive education and the importance of digital skills in 50 communities in northern Nigeria, provided digital skills training to 219 girls, and helped 172 out-of-school girls (including those with disabilities) return to school.

This project has been selected for the Action Plan for Global Youth Development.