SmartScale trains entrepreneurs in Ghana and Nigeria to turn artificial intelligence into business tools
As artificial intelligence continues to dominate global technology conversations, a new initiative is helping African entrepreneurs move beyond awareness to real-world application. The Pitch Hub, a Ghana-based, West African-focused entrepreneurship support organization, has successfully concluded the pilot phase of SmartScale, a practical artificial intelligence (AI) capacity-building program designed to help entrepreneurs, small business owners, and creatives apply AI directly within their businesses.
Delivered across Ghana and Nigeria, the SmartScale pilot blended virtual instruction with in-person implementation labs, ensuring participants did not just learn about AI, but actively built solutions tailored to their own ventures. Entrepreneurs progressed from defining business problems to designing, testing, and refining AI-powered tools relevant to customer support, content creation, digital marketing, and internal operations.
The programme was designed and led by Aurelia Abena Attipoe, Founder of The Pitch Hub, and facilitated by a team of experienced ecosystem practitioners, including Daniel Twum of Techbridge University College, Ghana, and Josiah Adesola, AI Ecosystem Lead at NitHub, University of Lagos. The programme was delivered through in-person implementation labs hosted in Accra and Lagos, reinforcing a hands-on approach that emphasised execution over theory.
SmartScale was delivered in partnership with key ecosystem enablers, including SG Innovate in Ghana and NitHub, at the University of Lagos in Nigeria. These partnerships created a collaborative learning environment that brought together founders, AI practitioners, and ecosystem institutions, strengthening cross-border knowledge exchange.
Participants were introduced to advanced AI tools and guided through a structured, step-by-step methodology for building AI applications from clearly defined business and software requirements. A strong emphasis was placed on compliance, testing, and iteration, helping founders understand not just what AI can do, but also how to deploy it responsibly and effectively.
Beyond operations and automation, SmartScale also addressed a common pain point for small businesses: marketing and visual content. Participants learned how to use AI-powered design tools to create high-quality product photos, videos, and marketing assets, reducing dependence on expensive production processes and agencies.
Originally designed for 30 entrepreneurs, the pilot was oversubscribed and trained over 40 participants across Ghana and Nigeria, reflecting strong demand and early validation of the programme’s relevance.
The initiative responds to a critical gap in Africa’s innovation ecosystem: while awareness of AI is growing rapidly, practical adoption remains limited, particularly among small businesses and early-stage founders. SmartScale demonstrates a repeatable and scalable model for closing that gap by focusing on applied learning and immediate business impact.
“Many entrepreneurs hear about AI but don’t know where to start or how to apply it to their businesses,” said Attipoe. “SmartScale was created to bridge that gap by focusing on real use cases, not hype.”
Building on the success of the Ghana and Nigeria pilots, The Pitch Hub plans to expand SmartScale to additional markets, supporting a broader network of founders, SMEs, and creatives across the continent.
SmartScale forms part of The Pitch Hub’s wider mission to equip African entrepreneurs with practical skills, mentorship, and access to tools that help turn ideas into sustainable and scalable businesses.
