CENSREHURD, partner to organise strategic AI fluency programme May.

The institution, founded in 2022 and focused on social change, research, and empowering vulnerable communities, will hold the event from May 11 to 13 in collaboration with RTivara Advisory, a famed AI Assurance and Liability Readiness firm specialising in technology, law, governance and risk management.

The initiative is expected to bring together students, researchers, entrepreneurs, policy and marketing professionals, young professionals, civil servants and other AI enthusiasts, according to the Executive Director of CENSREHURD, Dr Pefela Gildas Nyugha.

According to the CENSREHURD boss and other stakeholders, the programme will focus mainly on helping participants to identify the gaps costing Cameroonian professionals and other individuals in the course of utilising and interacting with AI.

Amongst the targeted lapses that will be addressed, per the officials, is the lack of framework in the course of using the increasingly popular digital tool, a limitation which the organisers say traditionally leaves AI users without strategic thinking or other key weapons during interactions with the tool.

CENSREHURD and RTivara Advisory officials say the all-access training programme will also school participants on how to distance themselves from what they describe as invisible hallucinations which mostly leave professionals unknowingly presenting fabricated facts or non-existent laws in their works due to the wrong use of the tool.

“What we are seeing in Cameroon is not a lack of interest in AI. It is something more subtle and more concerning. People are aware of AI. They have tried tools. They have attended webinars. But when it comes to actually using AI in a way that improves their work, reduces risk, and builds confidence, there is a clear gap,” Dr Pefela told reporters in an interview recently ahead of the programme.

“Most professionals are still operating on trial and error. They ask questions, accept answers, and move on. The problem is that AI can sound convincing even when it is wrong. In fields like health, law, journalism, and education, that is not a small issue. It carries real consequences,” the Executive Director of CENSREHURD added.

According to the CENSREHURD boss and his peers of RTivara Advisory, the flexibly-designed online training initiative will also enable participants to acquire much-needed knowledge on how to interact with AI in contextualising their works, while using the tool to avoid producing contents that lack local professional realities.

The scheme, which is expected to round up with the creation of personal 30-day AI action plans by the various participants to facilitate continuity, will also cover ethics and responsibility by providing answers to ignored questions regarding data privacy, academic integrity, and disclosure in the context of the AI, the organisers say. 

Intentionally expanding beyond awareness

According to Dr Pefela, the programme has been intentionally centered on ensuring high-level fluency beyond the current traditional approach of awareness raising, owing to the ground that CENSREHURD and RTivara Advisory believe Cameroon has already covered in its bid to ensure the efficient use of the digital tool.

“Awareness was useful at the beginning. It helped people understand that AI exists and that it matters. But today, that baseline has shifted. Global data continues to show that even after training, many organisations still report an AI skills gap. That tells us something important: knowing about AI does not translate into knowing how to work with it,” the CENSREHURD chief argued.

“Without fluency, people either underuse AI or misuse it. They miss opportunities, or worse, they introduce errors they cannot detect. The conversation has moved. It is no longer about exposure. It is about capability, judgement, and responsibility in everyday use. Fluency means knowing what to delegate, how to communicate with AI, how to verify outputs, and how to use it responsibly,” Dr Pefela detailed.

Embracing newly-launched national AI strategy

Beyond extending the approach to embrace practicality than simple awareness raising, Dr Pefela says the much-awaited programme has also been crafted by organisers to fall in line with Cameroon’s AI vision as fronted by the government through the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy which was officially launched last year.

“The strategy is an important step. It signals intent and direction. But strategies do not implement themselves. They depend on people, on skills, and on everyday decisions made across institutions,” Dr Pefela told reporters.

“Right now, there is a gap between policy and practice. This programme is designed to help meet that gap from the ground up. It equips professionals, students, and organizations with a practical way to engage with AI in their own contexts. In that sense, it is not replacing the national strategy. It is helping to make it real,” he further stated. 

Promoting inclusiveness through AI 

Since its launch in 2022, CENSREHURD whose activities are centered on promoting social change, research and empowering vulnerable communities, has been hailed for its far-reaching groundbreaking achievements.

RTivara Advisory is also reputable for its successes as a reliable AI Assurance and Liability Readiness firm specialising in technology, law, governance and risk management. 

Despite the achievements, Dr Pefela says both institutions are particularly excitement about the forthcoming program owing to its strategic position not only at the heart of the activities of the two institutions but the larger Cameroonian society.

“For us, this is about inclusion and responsibility. AI is already shaping access to opportunities. If people are not equipped to use it well, they risk being left behind in ways that are difficult to recover from,” the CENSREHURD leader told reporters in an interview recently.

“Our organisation, CENSREHURD, is already working with communities that face structural barriers, among other things. Extending that work into the digital space is a natural step. At the same time, RTivara Advisory brings a focus on accountability, ethics, and risk, which are often missing in basic AI training,” Dr Pefela stated.

He said the stakes place the partnership to organise the event as an intentional move that combines access, context and responsibility.

“We are not just teaching people how to use tools. We are helping them build judgement so that whatever AI becomes next, they are not starting from zero,” he concluded. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3762 of Thursday April 16, 2026