The Slum and Rural Aid for African Child Development Initiative (SARAFACDI) has unveiled the second edition of its TechUpRuralGirls programme in partnership with SabiAI, an artificial intelligence-powered WhatsApp learning tool, aimed at boosting digital inclusion for rural girls in Ondo State.

The programme will officially begin on September 25 at Fiwasaye Girls Grammar School, Akure, where 30 vulnerable girls aged 13–23 and 10 teachers from three schools will be trained in essential digital skills.

According to the organisation in a statement, participants will be taught computer literacy, AI literacy, graphic and web design, robotics, social media management, and photography.

To further strengthen the impact, the top 10 participants will be linked to internship opportunities with government and private sector partners, while ICT clubs and inter-school competitions will be introduced to sustain learning beyond the training period.

On the new SabiAI platform, SARAFACDI explained that the tool will deliver literacy, numeracy, and digital skills in multiple local languages through chat and voice, expanding access to education for children in underserved communities.

The group highlighted the gender gap in STEM, citing National Bureau of Statistics data showing that only 22 per cent of engineering and technology graduates in Nigeria are women, and International Telecommunication Union figures revealing that more than half of the world’s women still lack internet access.

Founder of SARAFACDI, Blessing Dada, emphasized that the project was designed to close these gaps. “TechUpRuralGirls II and the launch of SabiAI represent a new frontier for inclusive education. By combining face-to-face digital skills training with an AI-powered WhatsApp platform, we are breaking barriers of access, language and cost. This ensures that rural girls and indeed all children can learn, innovate and lead in Nigeria’s digital future,” she said.

The NGO added that the programme would run from September to November 2025, while the SabiAI pilot will reach 200 children in rural Ekiti and Ondo States