In a groundbreaking partnership, ALX (www.ALXAfrica.com), Anthropic, and the Government of Rwanda are joining forces to reshape learning and teaching across Africa through artificial intelligence. The initiative introduces “Chidi,” an AI-powered learning companion built on Anthropic’s Claude model. Chidi is designed to assist both learners and educators in developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Fred Swaniker, Founder and CEO of ALX, highlighted the significance of this collaboration: “This partnership represents a bold leap forward in redefining how African talent learns, works, and leads in the age of AI. Together with Anthropic and the Government of Rwanda, we are ensuring that Africa’s youth are not just consumers of AI but creators, driving the innovations that will define the global economy.”
The partnership stands as one of the largest AI-driven education projects in Africa, uniting ALX’s focus on empowering African talent, Anthropic’s dedication to responsible and accessible AI, and Rwanda’s Vision 2050 goals to cultivate an AI-ready workforce and accelerate digital transformation throughout the country.
Following a successful Phase 1 rollout of Chidi, which reached ALX learners across Africa with over 1,100 conversations and 4,000 chats in just two days, the next phase extends this transformative technology to Rwanda’s public education system. In Phase 2, Chidi will pilot in Rwanda’s higher learning institutions, reaching up to 2,000 educators and a select group of civil servants. This will be part of ALX’s AI Career Essentials program, where participants will gain hands-on experience with generative AI tools like Anthropic’s Claude Large Language Model. The initiative aims to improve teaching methods, lesson planning, and everyday productivity.
For educators, Chidi serves as a partner in lesson design and student engagement, while for learners, it represents personalized, world-class guidance available 24/7, fostering creativity and confidence. Graduates of the pilot will receive one year of access to Claude tools like Claude Pro for individuals and Claude Code for developer teams within the government. This continued exposure to AI will ensure the growing literacy in AI influences classrooms and workplaces long beyond the program’s conclusion.
A collaborative working group from ALX, Anthropic, and the Government of Rwanda will document insights from the pilot to inform national AI policy in education. The partners will explore the development of additional innovations, such as Chidi for Schools and localized African language models, ensuring that the initiative not only introduces technology into classrooms but also enables educators and students to learn, teach, and create at the pace of their ambition.
This collaboration represents a powerful alliance between visionary forces shaping the future of technology and education. ALX, Africa’s fastest-growing tech talent accelerator, connects young Africans to transformative opportunities that equip them with the skills to succeed in the global economy. ALX will provide the training, delivery, and implementation infrastructure, ensuring smooth rollout and enabling educators to integrate AI tools effectively.
“This is not simply about bringing technology to Africa; it’s about reimagining how learning itself happens,” said Fred Swaniker. “With Chidi, we’re moving beyond traditional instruction to create an intelligent, inquiry-driven learning environment that fosters critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving at scale. This is how Africa’s youth will generate the ideas and solutions that will define sustainable development and contribute to shaping a prosperous future.”
Anthropic, a leading U.S.-based AI safety and research company, is providing the Claude large language model along with technical guidance for safe and responsible deployment. Elizabeth Kelly, Head of Beneficial Deployments at Anthropic, emphasized the company’s commitment: “We believe transformative AI should be accessible to learners everywhere, regardless of geography. Through our partnership with ALX and the Government of Rwanda, we are ensuring that Claude’s capabilities strengthen education safely and responsibly across multiple African nations.”
The Government of Rwanda, represented by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of ICT, plays a critical role in providing the policy infrastructure and access to schools necessary to scale AI for education and governance. Although Rwanda will not bear any financial commitments under this partnership, the government’s leadership is vital for the initiative’s success.
Joseph Nsengimana, Rwanda’s Minister of Education, shared his perspective: “Rwanda, and Africa at large, aspires to place safe AI in the hands of educators, enabling students to acquire future-ready skills. Chidi is designed to free up teachers’ time in lesson preparation and personalized feedback, while also sparking curiosity among students. This initiative aligns with our priorities in the Education Sector Strategic Plan and our broader National Strategy for Transformation, which aims to develop human capital for the future.”
Paula Ingabire, Minister of ICT & Innovation, emphasized the alignment with Rwanda’s Vision 2050: “This collaboration is a step forward in equipping our youth and workforce with the skills needed for the 21st century. By initiating AI training for civil servants, we are ensuring that our workforce is prepared to engage responsibly with emerging technologies.”
By combining ALX’s expertise in learning innovation, Anthropic’s AI technology, and Rwanda’s progressive governance, this partnership creates a direct pathway to success, from ambition to achievement. As Chidi expands across the continent, Rwanda serves as the launch hub and model for future deployments, with plans for scaling the impact of AI-powered learning across Africa and beyond.
This partnership is not only a milestone for Rwanda but also a defining moment for Africa’s digital transformation. Together, the partners are ensuring that Africa’s youth have the same AI-powered learning advantages as their peers in Silicon Valley, Beijing, or London. The initiative is helping to create a new blueprint for AI-enabled education developed in Africa, shared globally, and demonstrating how global technology, African innovation, and public-sector leadership can deliver scalable, ethical, and transformative learning solutions. The work in Rwanda will serve as a stepping stone for the expansion of AI in education across the continent.
Through this bold collaboration, Africa’s future as a hub for world-class tech talent is becoming increasingly clear, offering young learners and educators the tools they need to learn, teach, and innovate in the digital age.
