UNESCO names CJID among key players shaping Nigeria’s AI ecosystem

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has recognised the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) as one of the civil society organisations contributing to the development of Nigeria’s artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem.

The recognition is contained in UNESCO’s 2026 Artificial Intelligence Readiness Assessment Report for Nigeria, which evaluates the country’s preparedness for the development, adoption and governance of AI.

A statement signed by the CJID Executive Director, Akintunde Babatunde, said UNESCO identified CJID under AI Literacy and Inclusion as well as Public Awareness and Advocacy, highlighting the organisation’s efforts to promote understanding and participation in AI, raise awareness of its social implications and foster civic engagement through media and education.

Under AI Literacy and Inclusion, UNESCO lists CJID alongside CoDiCI as organisations working to improve access to, understanding of and participation in AI ecosystems. It separately identifies CJID under Public Awareness and Advocacy for its work in promoting awareness of AI and its implications.

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The recognition follows several years of CJID’s investment in artificial intelligence, journalism and digital governance across Nigeria and Africa.

CJID is a member of the Nigeria AI Collective, where it coordinates a Community of Practice comprising more than 600 members from civil society organisations, media and journalism, academia and research, technology and development, as well as students and emerging professionals.

In July, the organisation further expanded its AI advocacy efforts by awarding grants to seven Nigerian civil society organisations: TechHer, Cedar Foundation for Disability, Akin Fadeyi Foundation, Nest Africa AI Innovation Lab, Webfala Digital Skill for All Initiative, African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), and Dataphyte Foundation.

The grants are supporting independent advocacy projects focused on public understanding of AI, responsible technology adoption, digital inclusion, citizen engagement, information integrity, policy awareness and accountability in the development and deployment of AI systems.

Beyond the AI Collective, CJID has trained hundreds of journalists, civil society actors, educators, university lecturers, teachers and students on artificial intelligence and its implications for journalism and society.

Through its AI Campus Network, the organisation has also supported young people in acquiring practical AI skills. In 2025, CJID provided computers to students at the University of Lagos to facilitate learning and experimentation with AI, stressing the importance of access to digital tools in achieving meaningful AI literacy.

The organisation’s work also extends to media innovation, with CJID developing five AI-enabled tools addressing fact-checking, electoral transparency and disinformation. Its fact-checkers and fellows have also debunked hundreds of pieces of AI-generated and manipulated content.

Its annual AI Reporting Fellowship has supported journalists in investigating and reporting on AI and its impact across various sectors, while three AI and Media Summits hosted by the organisation have brought together journalists, researchers, technology practitioners, policymakers and civil society actors to examine the implications of AI for media and society.

CJID has also supported the publication of hundreds of reports, investigations and analyses on AI, emerging technologies and information integrity, as well as their implications for African societies.

In February 2026, the organisation led a delegation of 10 civil society and media organisations to the AI Impact Summit in India, expanding the participation of Nigerian media and civil society actors in global discussions on AI development and governance.

The organisation said its expanding work increasingly focuses on AI governance, platform accountability, information integrity, responsible technology adoption and the implications of emerging technologies for journalism and democratic societies.

It noted that the UNESCO assessment provides broader recognition of CJID’s contribution to Nigeria’s developing AI ecosystem as the organisation expands its work from media training into technology development, research, digital literacy and policy engagement targeting journalists, educators, students and civil society organisations in Nigeria and across Africa.