BudgIT to roll out AI-powered budgeting assistant to assist climate champions fellows

BudgIT is preparing to roll out an AI-powered budgeting assistant, BIMI, which is expected to enhance its climate champions fellows ability to analyse public finance data and uncover inefficiencies in climate-related spending.

BudgIT, Civic Hive, has launched the 2026 edition of its Climate Champions Fellowship, expanding the programme and sharpening its focus on technology-driven approaches to climate accountability and governance.

At its core, the four-month programme blends climate advocacy with digital tools, equipping fellows to build data-backed solutions in areas such as energy transition, climate finance transparency, and food security.

Organisers say the initiative is designed to move beyond traditional climate education by embedding participants within a tech-enabled ecosystem that supports evidence-based decision-making and public accountability.

“This is about leveraging civic tech to close the gap between policy and impact,” the firm stated, noting that fellows will be trained to use data platforms to track government spending, monitor climate commitments, and advocate for more transparent systems.

Participants will be onboarded onto BudgIT’s e-learning platform, where they can access course materials, submit assignments, and review recorded sessions.

The program also introduces fellows to a suite of public data tools including Tracka and other transparency platforms used to monitor public projects and government budgets.

BudgIT kick-starts its 2026 climate champions fellowship cohort 2 as 23 young Nigerians were selected on Tuesday, 24 March 2026, from a field of over a thousand applicants.

This is the second year of the Climate Champions fellowship, a programme that began in 2025 with a founding cohort of 8 fellows and has now grown nearly threefold, a deliberate expansion that reflects the urgency of the crisis it was designed to confront.

The 2026 cohort has participants from Nigeria and Ghana and has been shaped by a stronger mandate: to interrogate the social impact of climate actions, to advance policy-based solutions, and to deploy technology as a tool of climate accountability and governance.

At its core, the four-month programme blends climate advocacy with digital tools, equipping fellows to build data-backed solutions in areas such as energy transition, climate finance transparency, and food security.

Organisers say the initiative is designed to move beyond traditional climate education by embedding participants within a tech-enabled ecosystem that supports evidence-based decision-making and public accountability.

“This is about leveraging civic tech to close the gap between policy and impact,” the firm stated, noting that fellows will be trained to use data platforms to track government spending, monitor climate commitments, and advocate for more transparent systems.

Participants will be onboarded onto BudgIT’s e-learning platform (BudgiT Academy), where they can access course materials, submit assignments, and review recorded sessions.

The program also introduces fellows to a suite of public data tools, including Tracka, Govspend and other transparency platforms used to monitor public projects and government budgets.

The fellowship’s emphasis on technology is reflected in the profiles of its participants.

Kabir Abdullahi is advancing Nigeria’s energy transition through research and advocacy for renewable energy adoption, while exploring practical deployment models for solar and wind solutions.

Olujinmi Olamide Roselyn is applying digital advocacy tools to amplify climate justice issues, focusing on ensuring vulnerable communities are represented in policy conversations and funding decisions.

Hayatudeen Mustapha is working at the intersection of climate and agriculture, testing user-driven solutions to improve farmer productivity amid climate variability, with potential applications for agri-tech innovation.

Victoria Saanu’s work centres on climate finance accountability, using data-driven approaches to track funding flows and ensure commitments translate into measurable outcomes for communities.

Beyond technical training, the program places strong emphasis on collaboration, encouraging fellows to co-build projects and share insights across borders.

Organisers said this networked approach is critical to scaling solutions and fostering innovation in Africa’s climate tech ecosystem.

The expansion of the fellowship comes at a time when climate funding and accountability remain pressing challenges across the continent.

By equipping young innovators with digital tools and policy knowledge, BudgIT aims to position them as key actors in bridging the gap between climate commitments and real-world impact.

With a growing alumni base that has gone on to secure grants and lead grassroots initiatives, the Climate Champions Fellowship is increasingly emerging as a pipeline for Africa’s next generation of climate tech leaders.