For most SS3 students in Makurdi, Benue State, the final year of secondary school is crowded with decisions. There is WAEC and NECO to prepare for, JAMB to think about, a course to choose, and a career to imagine. Very few of these students have had a structured conversation about artificial intelligence, even though it is already changing the careers they are considering.
That is the gap we want to close with the BENKids4AI programme. BENKids4AI is our secondary school outreach initiative at BenueTech Foundation. We are taking a short, practical conversation about AI directly into classrooms in Makurdi, Benue State, beginning in October 2026.
Why AI awareness matters before students choose a career
AI is not only a concern for programmers and scientists. It is already changing how work is done in agriculture, healthcare, education, law, finance and the creative industries. The students leaving secondary school over the next several years will step into workplaces where AI is built into the tools and systems of almost every field.
We believe this is not mainly a question of ability. Students in Makurdi are as capable as students anywhere. What many of them lack is exposure to the conversations that connect their ambitions to the technologies shaping the world they are about to enter. Awareness is the first step, and it is far easier to build early than to catch up on later.
What the BENKids4AI programme is
BENKids4AI introduces SS3 students in public and private secondary schools in Makurdi to artificial intelligence and what it means for the future of work.
It is deliberately not a technology course. Our goals are awareness, curiosity and confidence, not certification, and we are not trying to turn every student into an AI engineer. We want a student who plans to be a doctor, a farmer, a lawyer or an entrepreneur to leave the room understanding that AI is a tool that will change their field, and that understanding it is an advantage.
We chose SS3 students on purpose. They are at the point where career thinking is most active, and they are old enough to grasp what AI means for work rather than just enjoying the novelty. We also plan to prioritize government secondary schools, where student numbers are larger and exposure to technology is often more limited.
How a BENKids4AI school visit will work
Each visit is a structured 30-minute session in three parts.
The presentation (15 minutes). A facilitator explains what AI is, where it is already used across different careers and industries, and what it means for the future of work. We choose examples that match the careers students in the room are likely to be considering. It is meant to be a conversation, not a lecture.
The quiz (10 minutes). A short quiz based on the presentation follows. The questions are written for students who have just heard the material for the first time, so no specialist knowledge is needed. Students who answer correctly receive BenueTech Foundation branded items, which may include notebooks, pens, stickers or lanyards. We will confirm the final items before the first session.
Questions and answers (5 minutes). Students can ask us anything, and every question is welcome. Some of the best questions are the ones no prepared curriculum would anticipate.
We will document each visit with photographs and a session log. The log records the school, the number of students present, the number of quiz questions answered correctly and any notable student questions. Sessions are free for participating schools, and we will send each school a formal invitation letter ahead of the visit.
Why it matters for students outside technology
Much of the public conversation about AI assumes it concerns only people who want to work in tech. We see it differently. An SS3 class in Makurdi includes students aiming for the sciences, the arts, the social sciences, commerce and agriculture, and AI is relevant to every one of those paths.
That is why we build the presentation around examples from different careers. A student interested in law, farming or business should be able to see their own future in the discussion. The message we want every student to take away is simple: AI will affect your career whether you understand it or not, and understanding it gives you an advantage.
Our 2026 outreach plan
We will begin with two school visits a month. The first phase covers October and November 2026 and reaches four schools. Our team will select them with input from our volunteer network, aiming for a mix of public and private schools from different parts of Makurdi. The visits will continue through 2027 on a monthly schedule.
We will deliver the sessions with support from community volunteers. At the end of 2026, we plan to publish a summary of the schools visited, the students reached and what we learned.
The Annual BENKids4AI AI Quiz Competition, September 2027
Every school that takes part in a BENKids4AI session will be enrolled in the Annual BENKids4AI AI Quiz Competition. We have planned it for September 2027 as part of our anniversary celebrations.
The competition will be a live event open to the public. Participating schools will send teams, and the questions will draw on concepts from across the year’s sessions, moving from awareness-level questions to more challenging application-based ones. We will announce results publicly, with recognition for schools, teachers and students.
We plan to recognize participants with:
- A team trophy for the winning school, with gold medals for the first-place team members
- Silver medals for second place and bronze medals for third place
- Certificates of participation for all participants
- A formal recognition letter for facilitating teachers
WAEC and NECO scholarships for the 15 medallists
The most significant prize we are planning is the scholarship. We have committed to cover 100 percent of WAEC and NECO examination fees for each of the 15 students who earn a medal in the competition, meaning all five members of the gold, silver and bronze teams.
For many students, examination fees are a real barrier between them and the next stage of their education. We do not want a student who competes and places to lose that opportunity because of cost.
This is a commitment for September 2027. The competition has not yet taken place, and no scholarships have been awarded.
How BENKids4AI fits our mission
BenueTech Foundation is Nigeria’s first tech-focused NGO rooted in Benue State. Our mission is to build a thriving tech ecosystem in the state through mentorship, startup support, partnerships and capacity building. Much of our public work so far has focused on professionals and founders, through programmes such as Pitch Friday, which supports early-stage startups.
BENKids4AI extends that work to the people who will eventually join the ecosystem. It sits within our Tech Outreach and Campus Engagement work, which brings sensitization programmes to secondary schools and tertiary institutions across Benue. Over time, we hope the most engaged students will move on to our deeper programmes and mentorship. By 2030, we want BENKids4AI operating in every secondary school in Makurdi. That is a long-term goal, not something we have achieved yet.
How to get involved
We will need schools, volunteers and partners to make BENKids4AI work.
- School administrators and teachers: To host a session, email us at hello@benuetech.org or use our contact page.
- Volunteers: We plan to have two to four volunteers alongside the lead facilitator at each session. You can join through our membership page.
- Organisations and sponsors: To support the programme, learn more about becoming a partner.
- Everyone else: Follow our progress on the BenueTech blog and in our reports.
A conversation worth starting early
Benue State has no shortage of ambitious, capable young people. What many of them need is earlier access to the right conversations. With BENKids4AI, we are starting one of those conversations before career paths are set, in a 30-minute session, with a scholarship at the end of the year for the students who go furthest.
