...“Chidi” AI companion set to transform education and position Africa as a global tech hub
ALX, Anthropic, and the Government of Rwanda have unveiled a landmark partnership to advance education across Africa through artificial intelligence. The initiative introduces “Chidi”, an AI-powered learning companion built on Anthropic’s Claude model, designed to support both learners and educators in developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
“This collaboration marks a bold step in redefining how African talent learns, works, and leads in the age of AI,” says Fred Swaniker, Founder and CEO of ALX. “Through our partnership with Anthropic and the Government of Rwanda, we are ensuring that Africa’s youth are not just consumers of AI, but creators, shaping the innovations that will define the global economy.”
The partnership represents one of the continent’s largest AI-enhanced education deployments, merging ALX’s mission to empower African talent, Anthropic’s vision for accessible and responsible AI, and Rwanda’s Vision 2050, which aims to build an AI-ready workforce and accelerate digital transformation nationwide.
Empowering Learners and Educators with AI
Following the successful Phase 1 rollout of Chidi to ALX learners across Africa, which generated over 1,100 conversations and 4,000 chats in just two days, the programme now enters Ph
ase 2, expanding into Rwanda’s public education system. Chidi serves as a personalised tutor, prompting curiosity and critical thinking instead of providing direct answers. For teachers, it supports lesson planning and student engagement, while learners gain round-the-clock access to high-quality guidance that nurtures creativity and confidence.
As part of Phase 2, up to 2,000 Rwandan educators and selected civil servants will join ALX’s AI Career Essentials programme, gaining hands-on experience with generative AI tools such as Anthropic’s Claude Large Language Model to enhance teaching, planning, and workplace productivity.
Graduates of the pilot will receive a year-long access to Claude tools, including Claude Pro for individuals and Claude Code for government developers, while university educators explore Claude for Education. The initiative aims to embed AI literacy in classrooms and workplaces long after the programme concludes.
A dedicated ALX, Anthropic, and Rwandan Government working group will document insights to inform Rwanda’s national AI policy in education and develop future innovations, including Chidi for Schools and localised African language models. This effort goes beyond introducing technology; it equips educators and students to learn, teach, and innovate at the pace of their ambition, setting a new benchmark for inclusive AI learning across Africa.
Shaping the Future of Learning in Africa
This collaboration unites three visionary organisations redefining technology and education:
ALX, Africa’s fastest-growing tech talent accelerator, connects hundreds of thousands of young Africans to transformative opportunities, equipping them with skills for the global economy. ALX leads training, delivery, and implementation, ensuring smooth rollout and educator support.
“This is not just about bringing technology to Africa; it’s about reimagining how learning itself happens,” says Fred Swaniker. “With Chidi, we’re shifting from traditional instruction to intelligent, inquiry-driven learning that builds critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving at scale. This is how Africa’s youth will generate the ideas and solutions that define sustainable development and shape a thriving future.”
Anthropic, a US-based AI safety and research company, provides the Claude model and guidance on safe deployment, covering LLM/API-related costs for Chidi.
“We believe transformative AI should be accessible to learners across the world, regardless of geography,” says Elizabeth Kelly, Head of Beneficial Deployments at Anthropic. “By partnering with ALX and the Rwandan government, we’re ensuring Claude’s capabilities strengthen education safely and responsibly across several countries in Africa.”
The Government of Rwanda, through the Ministry of Education and Ministry of ICT, offers policy infrastructure, school access, and institutional leadership for scaling AI in learning and governance, without incurring financial costs.
Joseph Nsengimana, Minister of Education, says: “Rwanda, and Africa’s, ambition is to place safe AI in the hands of educators so students gain timely, future-ready skills. Chidi is designed to free up teachers’ time in lesson preparation, personalised feedback, and to spark curiosity among students, which aligns with our Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) priorities on teaching quality and digital literacy, and advances NST2 goals for human capital. We will assess this pilot based on measurable improvements and scale what proves effective, with safeguards for privacy and academic integrity.”
Paula Ingabire, Minister of ICT & Innovation, adds: “Rwanda’s Vision 2050 places youth and technology at the core of national progress, and our goal is to build a workforce equipped for the opportunities of the 21st century. This collaboration allows us to explore innovative AI tools that could enhance learning, support educators, and strengthen developer capabilities. By beginning with capacity building for civil servants, we ensure our workforce gains the foundational skills to engage with emerging technologies responsibly.”
Together, ALX, Anthropic, and the Rwandan Government are ensuring Africa’s youth have access to the same AI-powered learning opportunities as peers in Silicon Valley, Beijing, or London. The initiative sets a global example of AI-enabled education, developed in Africa, and paves the way for future expansion across Rwanda and the wider continent.
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