Smart Aid Initiative (SAI) is proud to announce that we have joined the Build-Tech Cohort of Hadis Foundation funded by Luminate. The project, a step down pitch will focus on empowering universities, educators, and young people in Kaduna State with the knowledge, skills, and tools to use technology and artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly and ethically.
As technology becomes increasingly central to education, governance, and daily life, its potential for innovation is matched by risks of misuse and harm. The Equal-TES seeks to address this challenge by equipping university lecturers, education stakeholders, and youth leaders with practical knowledge on integrating ethical principles into technology use and AI adoption. Through a combination of capacity-building, community dialogues, public awareness campaigns, and collaborative tech-solution challenges, the project will create platforms for dialogue between policymakers, tech innovators, and educators, ensuring that technological growth in the state is grounded in fairness, transparency, and human-centered design.
A key innovation of Equal-TES will be the development of an AI-powered chatbot that will serve as an interactive learning and awareness tool. This chatbot will provide accessible, on-demand information on ethical technology practices, data privacy, AI literacy, and digital rights, making these resources available to educators, students, and the wider public anytime and anywhere.
At Smart Aid Initiative, we believe technology is reshaping our world, but without ethics, its benefits can quickly turn into risks. Through Equal-TES, we are building a generation of educators and young innovators who understand not just how to use technology, but how to use it responsibly to solve real-world problems. With the support of Luminate and Hadis Foundation, the initiative will reach hundreds of educators and thousands of students, promoting awareness on responsible technology adoption, data privacy, and digital rights while inspiring solutions that tackle pressing community challenges.
By embedding ethics into the heart of technology education and leveraging innovative tools, the project will strengthen trust, reduce harm, and foster innovation that benefits everyone. This effort reflects Smart Aid Initiative’s commitment to advancing digital inclusion, gender equity, education access, and policy reforms in Nigeria.
Halima Musa
Communications Lead