Project summary: Learn & Launch is a low-cost, high-leverage monthly training and mentorship series run by AI Safety Nigeria, focused on building a talent pipeline in AI safety and governance across Nigeria and Africa - a highly neglected region in global AI risk reduction. The program provides early-stage participants with exposure, skill-building, and mentorship, creating option value by preparing future leaders who can tackle long-term AI risks.

What are this project's goals? How will you achieve them?

1. Learn & Launch is a low-cost, high-leverage monthly training and mentorship series run by AI Safety Nigeria, focused on building a talent pipeline in AI safety and governance across Nigeria and Africa—a highly neglected region in global AI risk reduction. The program provides early-stage participants with exposure, skill-building, and mentorship, creating option value by preparing future leaders who can tackle long-term AI risks. Funding enables interventions that would not otherwise occur, strengthening local capacity, fostering a sustainable ecosystem, and producing measurable impact in a region where AI expertise is scarce.
   

How will this funding be used? Funding will be used to support:

1. Program coordination and facilitation

2. Curriculum development and reading materials

3. Mentor and speaker honoraria

4. Online infrastructure and event delivery

5. Minimal operational support required for consistent execution

6. Small refreshment

7. Transportation fairs for undergraduate university students.
   

Who is on your team? What's your track record on similar projects?

The project is led by Dr. Ayuba Tuodolo, Founder & CEO of AI Safety Nigeria, supported by a small execution-focused team that includes:

1. 1. Tandokazi Siphe Xozwa who serves as the Co - executive director in charge of operations, she is fellowship program manager at Effective Aultriusm South Africa.

2. 2. Motiloluwa Oriowo is the lead for Programs and project, she is also a team member for EA Nigeria as a community builder.

3. 3. Ibitola Akindehin who serves as our lead of communication and stackholder engagement, she is an AI Safety strategist, a cybersecurity speacialist and the vice president II in-charge of communications & social media for women in Cybersecurity Nigeria.

Track record includes:

1. Organizing the first AI Safety Summit in Nigeria (with the Director-General of NITDA as keynote speaker)

2. Organized the first learn & launch series in december of 2025 without prior external funding

3. Building partnerships with Nigerian institutions and international AI safety organizations

4. Personal participation in AI safety and governance fellowships across Africa and globally

5. Reading groups activated within 2 universities in Nigeria in the last 2 months.

What are the most likely causes and outcomes if this project fails?

Primary risks include:

1. Lower-than-expected participant retention

2. Limited mentor availability in some months

3. Operational strain from a small team

Failure would result mainly in foregone talent development, not harm. The downside risk is low; the upside includes identifying and redirecting high-potential individuals toward impactful work.

How much money have you raised in the last 12 months, and from where?

In the last 12 months, AI Safety Nigeria has raised little to no unrestricted funding. Most activities were delivered through founder time, volunteers, and in-kind support.

Counterfactual impact is clear: without funding, the Learn & Launch Series would either not run or remain sporadic and unsustainable. This grant enables consistent, scalable capacity-building that would otherwise not occur.