In Nigeria, more than 70 percent of students cannot read with understanding — a crisis that affects millions of young lives. Now, an AI tool built in Nigeria is beginning to turn that around. ReadBuddy, a literacy app created by Rising Hope Girls Educational Foundation, won the top prize for people at the AI for Good Impact Awards 2026, held July 8 in Geneva. The platform works offline, meaning it does not need internet access — a critical feature in areas where schools have little to no connectivity. Its secret is simple: it listens to students read aloud, then gives instant feedback to help them improve.
The results surprised even its creators. After just six weeks of use, students' reading accuracy jumped from 58 percent to 83 percent. That means learners who struggled to sound out words were suddenly able to read more smoothly and with better comprehension. The platform has already reached more than 1,200 students and 1,000 teachers in Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory, and through a partnership with a larger STEM program, coverage has expanded to more than 7,000 children. ReadBuddy is available on mobile phones, tablets, and laptops, with a special focus on girls and students making the transition from local languages to English.
The organization behind ReadBuddy, called RHGE for short, runs what it calls AI Literacy Labs in low-income neighborhoods — specifically in Byazhin, Dutse, and Kubwa. These are community hubs where young people can practice reading with the app and get support from trained instructors. RHGE plans to open seven more labs in Nasarawa, Niger, and Kogi states by 2027, with the goal of reaching an additional 40,000 learners and 5,000 teachers. Major partners backing the work include the Ford Foundation, Amazon Web Services, and Team4Tech.
The AI for Good Impact Awards received close to 300 applications from 65 countries across six continents. Independent experts judged each entry on innovation, measurable value, ethics, and long-term sustainability. South African singer and humanitarian Yvonne Chaka Chaka presented the awards. ReadBuddy was one of three winners — Happywhale, a platform that identifies individual whales and dolphins using photos submitted by citizen scientists, won the AI for Planet category. ReadBuddy's victory sends a clear message: artificial intelligence does not have to be complicated or expensive to change lives. Sometimes, all it takes is giving a child the right words at the right moment.