Last Month at ALX: We Launched Africa’s Largest AI Education Initiative in Kigali
- 05 Dec 2025
- 9 min read
How ALX's Chidi, powered by Claude AI, is putting world-class AI training in the hands of hundreds of thousands of African learners
Last month in Kigali, something significant happened for Africa's tech future. In case you missed it, we’ll fill you in!
On November 17th, ALX launched one of the continent's largest AI education deployments in partnership with Anthropic, an AI safety and research company that's working to build reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems, and the Government of Rwanda
The centerpiece? Chidi—an AI-powered learning companion built by ALX that's already transforming how thousands of African students master everything from data analytics to cloud computing.
This wasn't a typical tech announcement with empty promises. High-level government officials, including Rwanda's Minister of ICT & Innovation Hon. Paula Ingabire, U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda Eric W. Kneedler, and ALX Founder & CEO Fred Swaniker gathered to launch something concrete: ALX AI training that's already working at scale.
If you've ever felt like the world's best learning resources always seem just out of reach and are designed for students in Silicon Valley or London, but not for you, what happened in Kigali drastically changes that equation.
What We Launched
ALX deployed Chidi, our AI-powered learning companion built on Anthropic's Claude model, to over 200,000 learners across Africa. Unlike traditional AI chatbots that simply provide answers, Chidi uses the Socratic method, responding to your questions with thoughtful questions of its own. When you're stuck on a coding challenge or struggling with a data science concept, Chidi guides you through solving the problem on your own, helping you build the mental frameworks to solve similar challenges independently.
This technology was built with the intention of reimagining how learning itself happens. It is a clear example of ALX’s innovation mindset that guides its mission to help millions of African youth find meaningful work.
Here's what makes Chidi different:
You get 24/7 access to expert-level guidance. Chidi doesn't give you answers. It asks the questions that make you think. Stuck on a coding challenge at 2am? Chidi walks you through it, building your problem-solving skills instead of just handing you solutions.
You learn the way global employers actually work. The tech companies hiring across Africa and beyond aren't looking for people who have memorised syntax. They want critical thinkers who can work alongside AI tools. To set you up for success, Chidi AI learning trains you to use AI daily to solve real problems.
You don't need to be in Kigali or Lagos to access it. Chidi is built directly into Savanna, ALX's learning platform, and is accessible and available to learners across the continent.
The Kigali Launch: What Went Down
The November event brought together leaders who understand that Africa's tech transformation isn't coming; it's already here:
- Hon. Paula Ingabire, Rwanda's Minister of ICT & Innovation, outlined how this aligns with Rwanda's Vision 2050 to build an AI-ready workforce
- Fred Swaniker emphasised that "this is not just about bringing technology to Africa; it's about reimagining how learning itself happens"
- Drew Bent, Anthropic's Head of Education, shared insights on responsible AI deployment in education
- Hon. Rwego Ngarambe, Minister of State for Sports, and Pascal Gatabazi, Chief Technical Advisor at Rwanda's Ministry of Education, discussed integration into national education systems
- Nimie Chaylone, ALX's General Manager for Rwanda and Kenya, outlined the rollout strategy
U.S. Ambassador Eric W. Kneedler highlighted the partnership's significance for regional tech development
The message was clear: Africa is not just a consumer of AI technology, but an active participant in shaping how it is deployed in education globally.
The Numbers Already Tell a Story
Since Chidi launched on November 4th to ALX learners, the results have been remarkable:
- Over 1,100 conversations in the first two days
- Nearly 4,000 learning sessions
- 9 out of 10 users reporting positive experiences
But numbers only tell half the story. What matters more is what those sessions represent: late nights working through complex data science concepts, breakthrough moments in understanding cloud architecture, confidence building with each solved challenge.
How Chidi Actually Works
Think of Chidi as that brilliant mentor who never gets tired of your questions, but pushes you to find answers yourself.
When you hit a wall in your coursework, Chidi doesn't just serve up the solution. It asks: "What have you tried so far? What do you think might work? Why?"
This Socratic approach of learning is intentional. Its purpose is to help you build the independent thinking skills you'll use to solve complex problems throughout your entire career. Because in the real world, there is no answer key. There's just you, the problem, and your ability to think it through and find a solution on your own.
Chidi is available 24/7, directly in Savanna. It understands your programme context, helps you work through milestones, and guides you through technical challenges. Importantly, it won't do your thinking for you or feed you answers. That's intentional. The goal is to make you a stronger problem-solver, not more dependent on AI.
Rwanda's Leading the Way
Additionally, the benefits of this partnership extend beyond ALX learners. For the next phase, up to 2,000 Rwandan educators and civil servants are getting trained in AI literacy through ALX's AI Career Essentials (AiCE) programme. They'll learn to use tools like Claude to plan better lessons, support students more effectively, and integrate AI into their daily work.
Graduates of the pilot get a full year of access to Claude tools, including Claude Pro and Claude Code for developer teams in government.
"Rwanda's Vision 2050 places youth and technology at the core of national progress," said Minister Ingabire at the launch. "This collaboration allows us to explore innovative AI tools that could enhance learning, support educators, and strengthen developer capabilities."
Joseph Nsengimana, Rwanda's Minister of Education, added: "Chidi is designed to free up teachers' time in lesson preparation and personalised feedback, which aligns with our Education Sector Strategic Plan priorities on teaching quality and digital literacy."
The goal? Building an AI-ready workforce from the ground up. As Rwandans learn to use AI effectively, they'll launch startups solving local challenges, join global companies that need their skills, and create innovations that reshape entire industries.
Why This Matters for Africa's Tech Future
Fred Swaniker put it perfectly at the launch: "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."
Here's what that means in practical terms:
Access to AI education in Africa is no longer a luxury. AI is our new normal. It has become a standard part of how we train the continent's next generation of tech talent. With over 200,000 learners already in ALX programmes, and now every one of them getting access to Chidi, we're talking about scale that actually moves the needle.
African talent is consuming AI and shaping how it is used. A joint working group between ALX, Anthropic, and the Rwandan government is documenting insights from this deployment to inform national AI policy and develop future innovations like Chidi for Schools and localised African language models.
The blueprint we're creating here works globally. What we learn from deploying AI education across Africa will inform how AI transforms learning worldwide. Rwanda is serving as the model, but the impact extends far beyond.
What You'll Gain with Chidi
- Critical Thinking That Transfers
The problem-solving skills you develop with Chidi help you pass your current programme in the short-term, and also transfer to your career and problem-solving abilities in the long-term. You'll learn to break down complex problems, ask the right questions, and work through challenges methodically. - Confidence to Tackle the Unfamiliar
By working through problems with Chidi's guidance, you build confidence to tackle challenges you've never seen before. This is exactly what employers look for: people who don't freeze when facing the unknown. - Real AI Collaboration Skills
Chidi represents an opportunity to learn with AI, rather than simply learning about it. Daily practice with Claude means you'll know how to work with the AI tools already transforming workplaces globally. While others are just hearing about AI, you'll have months of hands-on experience.
This Is Just the Beginning
The successful rollout of Chidi to ALX learners proved that AI-powered learning works at scale across Africa. Now there is an chance to expand, bringing these tools into public education systems, training thousands of educators, and building the infrastructure for AI to enhance how an entire generation learns.
For you, that means opportunity. Real, tangible opportunity to build skills that global employers need, using the same cutting-edge tools that students in any tech hub worldwide are using.
Here's the truth: Africa's tech talent has always been world-class. We've just been working without the same access to resources, training infrastructure, and learning tools.
Not anymore.
Elizabeth Kelly, Anthropic's Head of Beneficial Deployments, said it best: "We believe transformative AI should be accessible to learners across the world, regardless of geography. By partnering with ALX and the Rwandan government, we're ensuring Claude's capabilities strengthen education safely and responsibly across several countries in Africa."
Ready to Start Your AI Journey?
ALX AI training with Chidi is already helping thousands of students across Africa master the skills that matter. With Chidi as your learning companion, you get personalised, 24/7 guidance through courses in software engineering, data analytics, cloud computing, and more.
Global employers hire people who can solve problems they've never seen before. Chidi helps you become that person.
The question isn't whether AI will transform your career path. It's whether you'll be ready when it does.
About this partnership: ALX developed Chidi as an AI-powered learning companion, built on Anthropic's Claude model, in partnership with the Government of Rwanda. Together, we're ensuring African youth have the AI-powered learning advantages they deserve, and positioning Africa at the center of the global tech revolution. Learn more about the partnership in our official announcement.