In a bid to carry Africa along and position the continent as a formidable force in the unfolding artificial intelligence revolution, the Bloom Academy for Artificial Intelligence (BAFAI) has expanded its curriculum and faculty strength, deepening its commitment to consolidating its role as a leading AI leadership development institution for Africa and the global South.
The Lagos-based, fully online AI education platform said the move introduces a new suite of courses, expanded industry partnerships, and a broader mission to narrow the global artificial intelligence skills gap, particularly in emerging economies.
At a time when AI is rapidly transforming industries worldwide, BAFAI warned that Africa risks being left behind not due to a shortage of talent but due to limited access to structured, high-quality training opportunities. The academy said its model was designed to address that gap by making AI education more accessible and affordable across the continent.
Operating from Lagos with learners spread across Africa and beyond, BAFAI now offers seven certificate programmes covering AI Fundamentals, Agentic AI, AI Ethics, AI Research, Workflow Automation, Data Annotation, and AI Task Management. Several of the programmes are offered at heavily discounted rates, while others are available on full scholarships.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of BAFAI, Dr Lola Olukuewu, said the institution was driven by a mission to ensure that African talent is not excluded from the global AI revolution.
“Africa and the global South do not need to wait for the world to bring AI to us. We are building it ourselves, one leader, one expert at a time. BAFAI exists to ensure that geography is never a barrier to opportunity,” she said. “The future of AI must include Africa, and BAFAI is making that future a reality today.”
Dr Olukuewu, who is a Senior Fellow at AI For Developing Nations (AIFOD) and a member of the Forbes Business Council, has also been involved in developing Agentic AI solutions for call centre applications in Africa. She has represented African AI interests at global platforms, including the United Nations AIFOD Forum in Geneva, with a stated focus on building Nigeria’s AI talent pipeline.
As part of the expansion, BAFAI has introduced additional courses in Agentic AI, AI Ethics, AI Research, Workflow Automation, and Data Annotation, and has also on-boarded an expanded faculty of more than 10 instructors from different parts of the world.
The academy said its programmes are designed to be accessible to learners without prior coding experience, allowing participation from students, professionals, and entrepreneurs at various levels of technical proficiency.
BAFAI added that it has already trained thousands of learners across multiple cohorts, with many graduates reportedly applying AI skills in their workplaces and experiencing measurable career advancement.
Through partnerships with international organisations focused on workforce development, the academy said it is positioning its graduates for both local opportunities and global competitiveness in the evolving AI economy.
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With its pricing model structured to reduce financial barriers, including full scholarships for selected courses, BAFAI said it remains committed to proving that high-quality AI education can be both rigorous and widely accessible.
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