Meta's Llama Impact Accelerator Is Fueling African AI Innovation
The initiative goes beyond just funding, offering technical training, business advisory, and mentorship.
A lot of startups chase funding, but raising money is just one piece of the puzzle. Building a solid AI product, figuring out how to scale, and even getting funding support? That’s where programs like the Llama Impact Accelerator could come in.
Launched by Meta in partnership with national innovation agencies and ecosystem partners, the Llama Impact Accelerator is a six-week program designed to help African startups build socially relevant, open-source AI tools, with access to Meta’s Llama ecosystem and a chance to pitch to top local and global experts.
It’ll run across Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal, and South Africa and focus on solutions tackling big local challenges: agriculture, healthcare, education, security, and financial inclusion. In Nigeria, the accelerator will be implemented by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and its AI affiliate, the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), and will run from August to December 2025.
Applications close on June 27, so if you're interested, you can apply here.
But what makes this more than just another accelerator are the perks. Selected startups get hands-on technical training, business advisory support, mentorship, and access to policy networks—plus up to $25,000 in equity-free funding.
At the same time, the initiative isn’t Nigeria’s first AI push either. Last year, the country partnered with Google to launch a ₦100 million AI fund and a $5.8 million talent upskilling program. Global organizations like Luminate have also invested over $1.5 million into Nigeria’s AI space.
For Meta, keeping Llama open source means African developers can actually access and build with these tools, a practical move to localize AI for the continent. And for Nigeria, it all lines up with its national AI strategy launched in 2023, which aimed to shape local policy with help from both homegrown and diaspora talent.
Kelechi Edeh
