OSOGBO, Nigeria, 28 October 2026. The Government of Osun State, under the leadership of His Excellency, Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, Executive Governor of the State, and the Read and Earn Federation for UNESCO (UNESCO REF) have jointly opened nominations for three thousand indigenes of Osun State to undertake the Advanced Research Diploma in Artificial Intelligence (ARDAI TIER I). The programme is fully funded, extends over thirteen weeks and commences in December 2026. It represents one of the most substantial single commitments yet made by a Nigerian State to the preparation of its young people for an economy increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.

The nomination process is administered by the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on the Sustainable Development Goals, while the programme is financed through the Educational Financial Facility Scheme (EFFS) of UNESCO REF. Tuition, learning materials and certification are provided at no cost to participants. Candidates who satisfy the requirements of assessment will be conferred with the Advanced Research Diploma in Artificial Intelligence (ARDAI TIER I).

A deliberate investment in human capital

Un investissement délibéré dans le capital humain

Artificial intelligence, data science and automation are now reshaping the conduct of government, commerce, agriculture, health care and education. In this setting, the prosperity of a State depends less on the resources beneath its soil than on the knowledge, skills and enterprise of its people.

By resolving to prepare three thousand of its indigenes in a single cohort, the Government of Osun State positions its young people among the first in the Federation to be formally trained for this transition. The decision reflects the sustained priority the administration has accorded to youth empowerment and human capital development, and its considered view that the young people of Osun State should participate in the new economy as producers and innovators, and not merely as its users.

“Artificial intelligence is transforming virtually every sector. This programme will help our graduates compete globally, access better-paying jobs and build technology-driven businesses.”

Hon. Bankole Omisore, Special Adviser to the Governor of Osun State on the Sustainable Development Goals

About ARDAI TIER I

À propos de l’ARDAI TIER I

ARDAI TIER I is a programme of UNESCO REF delivered under its flagship framework, the Strategic Intervention Programme for Accelerated Learning and Productive Human Asset (SIP-ALPHA). It is a demanding professional programme which proceeds from the foundations of artificial intelligence to its applied use in the sectors of greatest consequence to Nigeria and to the African continent.

• Structure. Thirteen weeks, 169 lessons and 169 laboratory work samples, ending in a capstone portfolio and a final examination.
• Scope. Machine learning, natural language processing for African languages, computer vision, and the application of artificial intelligence to health, agriculture and climate, finance and economic development, and governance and public administration, together with AI safety, ethics and policy design.
• Delivery. Fully online and self-paced, with narrated voice lectures on every lesson, so that participants can learn wherever they are.
• Recognition. Distinction graduates are invited to submit their capstone work to The REF Review, the open-access journal of UNESCO REF.

A partnership in continuity

Un partenariat dans la continuité

The programme extends the cooperation already established between the Government of Osun State and UNESCO REF under The VOICE Initiative. It confirms the position of Osun State as a pioneer State in the delivery of UNESCO REF programmes, and as a State that has chosen to align its local development priorities with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations.

Eligibility and nomination

Conditions d’admission et procédure de nomination

• Origin. Indigenes or residents of Osun State.
• Qualification. At least a bachelor’s degree, a Higher National Diploma (HND) or a recognised equivalent.
• Pre-qualification. Candidates must first complete the pre-qualification process of the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on the Sustainable Development Goals, which administers nominations on behalf of the State.
• Application. Pre-qualified candidates then complete the UNESCO REF Programme Application, selecting ARDAI TIER I, and receive a reference number by email on submission.

Places are limited to three thousand, and eligible candidates are encouraged to complete the process without delay.

ENDS