In a move aimed at increasing the uptake of artificial intelligence in small, medium and large business enterprises Africa Cybersecurity and AI foundation (ACAIF) is targeting to train 1000 entrepreneurs across Africa including 200 from Kenya in the cyber challenge.
Besides that, students pursuing cyber security and AI will get a 1-year fellowship grant program to enhance their skills and create more jobs in the sector.
According to Evalyn Oloo, chairperson of ACAIF and chief executive officer of Acyberschool, the initiative was hailed as a game changer for both entrepreneurs and students.
“The foundation of what we do across the continent is capacity building and connecting that capacity to meaningful engagements. When I talk about capacity building, there’s the training in terms of scaling individuals who are able to support institutions to better their cyber security posture. And awareness is equipping individuals with skills to protect themselves while transacting, engaging online, or taking advantage of the digital economy that is currently growing in Africa. So the challenge is what we are launching today.” oloo said
ACAIF bridges the gap between academic knowledge and real-world cybersecurity challenges, providing hands-on experience and practical skills to final-year students and recent graduates.
The Cybersecurity and AI Innovation Challenge Africa (CAICA) supports and showcases promising innovations from across the continent, fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.
“So through Africa’s Cybersecurity and AI Foundation, a cyber school has launched two projects. One geared to increase entrepreneurship in cyber security and AI, and another geared to increase what we like to call skin in the game or a badge of, hey, I have done this at work, and I’ve just not done it in theory, so I’m actually good to go.
So the first one, SICA, or the Cybersecurity and AI Challenge, is for innovators, entrepreneurs, and researchers working on novel ideas in cyber security or AI. So it doesn’t have to be AI; it can be AI in agriculture or anything else that is solving a problem for Kenya, for East Africa, for Africa, or even for the world at large,” emphasized Oloo.
ACAIF has significantly enhanced cybersecurity and AI capabilities across Africa. Thousands of individuals have received training through a cyberschool, improving their skills and employability.
On his part, the chief technology and innovation officer at Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Ben Roberts, emphasized the need for corporations to embrace AI as it will create new job opportunities and enhance human capital.
“As we speak about AI in companies and businesses, it should be embraced; however, it may lead to both job creation and job losses, but over a long period, it’s the way to go.” said Roberts
The two were speaking yesterday at the University of Nairobi, Chiromo Campus, where it conducted a cyber security and AI one-day seminar.
ACAIF supports countries with limited resources by providing essential tools and training to improve their cybersecurity posture. Volunteer programs engage non-profit community institutions, contributing to social and economic development.
