The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has selected seven civil society organisations (CSOs) to receive artificial intelligence (AI) advocacy grants under the Nigeria AI Collective.

The beneficiaries are TechHer, Cedar Foundation for Disability, Akin Fadeyi Foundation, Nest Africa AI Innovation Lab, Webfala Digital Skill for All Initiative, the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), and Dataphyte Foundation.

Each organisation will carry out advocacy projects shaped by its area of expertise, target communities and priorities within Nigeria’s developing artificial intelligence ecosystem.

Focus on responsible AI

According to CJID, the grants are intended to promote public understanding of AI, responsible technology adoption, digital inclusion, citizen engagement, information integrity, policy awareness and accountability in the use of AI systems.

The organisation-based advocacy projects represent the next phase of the AI Collective Community of Practice, a multi-stakeholder initiative with more than 600 members. The initiative brings together civil society groups, media and journalism professionals, researchers, academics, technology professionals, developers, students and emerging professionals.

Members of the Community of Practice are organised into dedicated tracks through which participants engage in sector-specific learning, collaborative engagement, research, advocacy, and cross-sector knowledge exchange.

Building on collective advocacy

The new round follows an earlier group-based advocacy engagement in which participating civil society organisations jointly developed initiatives around shared AI priorities.

CJID explained that the organisation-led phase gives selected groups the resources and flexibility to design interventions that respond directly to the needs of the communities they serve, while remaining connected to the wider Community of Practice.

The organisations are also expected to document lessons from their projects and share their experiences with other members to support future learning and replication.

Public-interest approach

The Executive Director of CJID, Akintunde Babatunde said AI should be treated as a major public-interest issue.

“At CJID, we see artificial intelligence as one of the defining public-interest issues of our time. Building an inclusive AI ecosystem requires more than technological innovation; it requires informed citizens, capable civil society organisations, evidence-based policy engagement, and sustained collaboration across sectors,” Mr Babatunde said.

He added that the Nigeria AI Collective was investing in organisations that could turn these principles into practical community-based action and help ensure AI development in Nigeria remains innovative, accountable and in the public interest.

According to him, meaningful AI governance requires CSOs to move beyond participation in conversations and become key contributors to public education, accountability, and policy development.

“Artificial intelligence is reshaping public life, but the direction of that transformation should not be determined by technology companies and governments alone. CSOs have an important role to play in helping communities understand these technologies, identifying their implications, and ensuring that AI systems serve the public interest,” he said

Through the Community of Practice, CJID said it has supported organisations to learn together and undertake collective advocacy while the next phase enables them to build on that experience by designing interventions that reflect their own expertise and the needs of the communities they serve.