Dear NVIDIA Team,
My name is Muhammad Mukhtar Bardi, Lead of the Robotics and Automation Division at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Nigeria. I am writing on behalf of our robotics and AI community, RAIN-INN, to seek your support in empowering the next generation of African innovators.
Our vision is to train 150–200 students in robotics and artificial intelligence, providing them with access to trending technologies in the field. We aim to establish a moderate robotics laboratory at ABU Zaria, where students, many of whom lack access to adequate computing resources and robotics kits, can design and execute their projects seamlessly.
The inspiration for this initiative came from my participation in the Shell Autonomous Programming Competition, where we had to use the CARLA simulator. Unfortunately, the competition highlighted a major challenge: CARLA requires at least 6GB VRAM (8GB recommended) to run effectively, and we lacked compatible hardware. We had to borrow a laptop with a GTX 1060, and in the end, insufficient computing power limited our performance.
With NVIDIA’s leadership in GPU computing and AI acceleration, your support would be transformative. We are seeking Jetson developer kits, GPUs, or other computing resources to power our lab and enable students to train models, run simulations, and build self-driving car prototypes, alongside other robotics projects with ROS.
In return, we would proudly showcase NVIDIA’s support across our projects, events, and publications, while also building a pipeline of talented Nigerian engineers and AI enthusiasts familiar with NVIDIA technologies.
We would be deeply grateful for your consideration and would be happy to provide more details about our program and vision.
Thank you for your time and for inspiring innovators around the world.
Warm regards,
Muhammad Mukhtar Bardi
Lead, Robotics and Automation Division
Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria