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E-Business

IBM Chief Urges Nigeria to Invest in Data Science against Infrastructure

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Dr. Uyi Stewart, a US-based Nigerian leading data scientist and Chief Data Scientist, IBM, has urged Nigeria to invest more in data science rather than infrastructure in order to achieve development.

He stated this at a workshop for Data Science entrepreneurs in Lagos, according to him, ‘We have a lot of challenges as a nation whether is in public sector, healthcare, agriculture, financial inclusion or education across every walk of life.

Even in Lagos, look at mobility, our ability to travel from one place to the other, we need to star to make smart decisions.

Farmer need to make smart decisions in other to farm better, worker need to make smart decisions in other to be able to reach at work on time. Even parents need to make smart decisions about their finances so that they do not just stay at the same level.

“Across all these dimensions that I have talked about, the key is really the ability to have the right data, run the right kind of insight of the data, generate the right kind of decision support and then let the humans make the decision. Even in government, government also needs to be supported in order to make the right kind of decision for the population and that can only come from data. We can’t formulate policy on emotions; we have to formulate policies based on data. So across every work or life data is valuable but the key is our ability to mine and analyse the data,” he said.
 
On the challenge of access data, he said that he key is the time to value. “Let’s take a scenario, I have data, I am company X and you come to me and you say ‘Give me your data’. I am going to ask you, what’s in it for me? I believe people are willing to share their data. But, innovation has to be two sides; it has to be business model and technology. We always go to them and say “Give me you data, I want to build this App” without laying on the table what’s in it for them. If you can show what business model underlying what you are doing and you can show value for the person you are asking data from, you will get the data.”
 
Stewart further explained that the issue of data credibility borders on data quality. “Actually they are two sides – data quality and data provenance. Provenance means when I get the data, it can percolate all the way and be consistent without somebody changing it. These are issues that machine learning thankfully allows us to address. Even if you say, “I don’t want to go into machine learning”, there is something that is called crowdsourcing which is also an approach to do data quality. It’s inexpensive. What that does is that it brings people together to validate an imprint in a democratic way. All of us cannot agree to lie. So, we need to focus on instruments either through technology or simple innovative ideas like crowdsourcing to ensure we have the right kind of data quality. It is central otherwise garbage in, garbage out.”


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

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E-Business

Amazon CEO Says AI will Reduce Number of Workers Needed

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Amazon’s management on Wednesday said that it expects that artificial intelligence software will reduce the number of office workers at the world’s largest online retailer.

Amazon CEO Says AI will Reduce Number of Workers Needed

Andy Jassy, chief executive, Amazon

“We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today and more people doing other types of jobs,” Andy Jassy, chief executive, Amazon  wrote in an email to employees.

He said it was difficult to predict how the overall workforce will evolve, but in the next few years, it is expected that AI efficiency gains will lead to a reduction in the number of office workers.

According to earlier reports, Amazon employed around 1.5 million people worldwide, with approximately 350,000 office employees in various roles.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the company does not anticipate further large-scale layoffs, as seen in 2022 and 2023, in the near future.

Instead, it expects that vacant positions will not be refilled.

However, layoffs are not ruled out, according to sources familiar with the matter.

“Amazon is focusing on so-called AI agents, software capable of independently performing tasks. These agents could, for example, summarise information from the web and data sources, write software, translate languages and automate many time-consuming tasks,” Mr Jassy explained.

“Agents will be teammates that we can call on at various stages of our work,” he added, urging employees to experiment with AI whenever possible.

The impact of AI on the job market has been a concern for many years.

Recently, Spotify, the leader in music streaming, announced that teams requesting additional staff would first need to prove that AI could not perform the tasks.

The creators of the language-learning app Duolingo plan to gradually replace external workers with AI.

 

 

 

 


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E-Business

BPP Partners NDPC to Strengthen Data Protection

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Dr Adebowale Adedokun, director-general, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), has reaffirmed the bureau’s commitment to data protection in Nigeria.

BPP Partners NDPC to Strengthen Data Protection

He disclosed this in a statement at the weekend by Zira Nagga, head of Public Relations, BPP, following a courtesy visit by a delegation from the National Data Protection Commission (NDPC).

Adedokun stressed that data protection is vital to Nigeria’s economy and development, particularly in areas such as demography, health, education, and other key sectors.

He emphasised that no country should leave its data unprotected, as it plays a crucial role in future planning and national development.

“Data governs the world. It is essential to technological progress and must be protected for a country or business to be taken seriously,” he said.

Adedokun described the visit, aimed at fostering partnership on data policy implementation and protection, as timely and aligned with national goals.

He said the BPP would collaborate closely with the NDPC to boost data development, capacity building, and enhance the procurement system.

“The BPP will support compliance as part of the ‘Nigeria First’ Policy, although it is not a core procurement eligibility requirement,” he explained.

He suggested a hybrid training model to help build strong capacity in data protection, privacy awareness, and policy understanding.

According to him, a dynamic training approach will reduce logistics costs and improve public confidence in data safety and privacy.

Dr Vincent Olatunji, CEO, and national commissioner, NDPC, praised Adedokun and the BPP for supporting data protection initiatives.

He said the partnership supports President Bola Tinubu’s vision and will strengthen data privacy across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

“The collaboration will create awareness and train BPP staff to ensure a firm grasp of data protection principles and policies,” he stated.

Olatunji said the NDPC would establish a working group to finalise a Memorandum of Understanding beneficial to both institutions.

He added that President Tinubu signed the NDPC into law on 12 June 2023 to uphold citizens’ rights and protect national and business data.

Olatunji also noted that strict legal measures were in place to enforce data protection and ensure full compliance nationwide.

Both agencies agreed to form a team to sign the MoU and focus on capacity building and data management in procurement and beyond.

 

 


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FG Mulls Fibre Optic Layout to Bridge Internet Gaps

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President Bola Tinubu said that his administration has initiated a project to install fibre optic cables across the country, aimed at enhancing the socio-economic development of Nigeria.

FG Mulls Fibre Optic Layout to Bridge Internet Gaps

His plans were contained in a speech he delivered at a joint session of the National Assembly in commemoration of Democracy Day on Thursday, June 12.

He said the fibre optic layout is part of other projects being embarked on.

“In addition, we have embarked on an ambitious project to lay fibre optic cables across the nation, a transformative step toward bridging the digital divide and fostering greater connectivity.

“This initiative promises not only to enhance the speed and reliability of internet access but also to revolutionise how businesses operate, how students learn, and how communities stay connected,” Tinubu stated.

He maintained that by extending this critical infrastructure, his government is empowering entrepreneurs, enabling digital education, and providing the tools for our youth to compete in a globalised world.

In a most recent report on Internet connectivity, The ICIR pointed out how Nigeria has faced setbacks in its deployment of fibre optic cables and needs a transformation.

The challenges revolve around vandalism, inadequate coordination between road construction and telecom infrastructure, and varying right-of-way (RoW) charges across states.

Among industry experts, these issues impact network outages, increase repair costs, and hinder broadband expansion efforts.

It has also further threatened the digital economy, leading to slower Internet speeds, dropped calls, and unreliable connectivity among others.


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