The organisation was founded by Jimeh Saleh, former BBC journalist and Editor of BBC Hausa, who led the highly impactful, multi million dollar BBC/MacArthur Foundation public accountability project in Nigeria. He is a regular speaker and moderator at major international events, including the Global AI Impact Summit, the Global Investigative Journalism Conference, the International Journalism Festival in Perugia, and the World Bank’s Coalitions for Reforms Programme.
Jimeh is also an experienced English–Hausa translator. During his tenure as Editor of BBC Hausa, he worked closely with researchers to pilot a Hausa text to voice AI model and served as a volunteer diversity and inclusion champion. His commitment to underserved communities drives his mission to make AI and other modern technologies accessible and beneficial to all, regardless of language or other structural barriers.
“Amana” is the Hausa word for trust, a value Jimeh built throughout his journalism career – this trust is the guiding force behind AITI’s mission to expand inclusive, community centred technology.