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How Winners emerge in Data Science Nigeria 2019 Intercampus Machine Learning bootcamp
Kazeem Hakeem, a graduate of Olabisi Onabanjo University and Obinna Onuoha, also a graduate of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, have won scholarship for their Master of Science (M.Sc) programmes at Stellenbosch University, South Africa courtesy of the Data Science Nigeria (DSN) intercampus Machine Learning BootCamp 2019 prize.
Microsoft (4Afrika) and BlueChip Technologies Limited, respectively, presented the awards to the duo at the grand finale held on November 23 at the University of Lagos (Unilag).
Data Scientists used to work predominantly in the tech industry at companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon, and LinkedIn, but in the last few years, nearly every industry has begun to realize the value of utilizing their data in strategic decision-making.
The fields of telecommunications, banking, e-commerce, medicine, retail, construction, and transportation/mobility are all facing massive increases in their need for data scientists.
The supply of skilled applicants, however, is growing at a slower pace. Taking the bull by the horn, Data Science Nigeria (DSN) has rolled out a roadmap to raise 1million Data Scientists, particularly in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the next 10 years.
As part of this commitment to make Nigeria the Data Science Hub in the world, DSN launched the first Artificial Intelligence Book for Nigerian Primary and Secondary Schools at its 2019 AI Summit in Lagos.
DSN also conveyed the Intercampus Machine Learning Bootcamp with 26 international and 13 local experts on ground to tutor the 230 participants.
Rising Odegua won Retina-AI’s Best Postal Award; University of Lagos emerged AI School of the Year; Rising Odegua and Adeola Lawal won Terragon Group’s Mr & Miss Algorithm Awards.
Speaking to journalists immediately after collecting award, Kazeem said, “So, I started preparing early enough with the support of my Friend Obinna; who would always call and sent me materials to read. He was always there to follow up with me.
Sarah Adigwe receiving her prize from MainOne
“I have always wished to get a Masters Degree in Data Science or Artificial Intelligence. So, I am saying a big thank you to DSN”.
To Obinna, “Last year, I qualified for the bootcamp and got inspired. I went back to learn more. This year, the qualification process was crazy. To make it to the bootcamp, we had to build an algorithm to predict the staff that would get promoted for a particular company using data.
“During the bootcamp, we had a quiz competition and the top two students were picked and it happened that was one of them.
“I can’t really say this is how I feel because the whole thing is just overwhelming. The first thought that came into my mind was to call my mum”.
Dr. Olubayo Adekanmbi, convener, Data Science Nigeria, explained that the bootcamp was one of the means to harness talents and build a formidable Data Science community in Nigeria.
He said, “If we do not address AI capacity today, we may go into another cycle of what I call digital slavery because we do not have skills that makes us capable in developing solutions that solve our problem.
Cross section of tutors
“So this is the responsibility that we have carried out as data scientist and of course we are supported by many organization including Microsoft, Retina-AI, Softcom, Bluechip Technologies, MainOne, Carbon, Terragon, Axa Mansard. Facebook, Carbon, BigML and GRID3/Flowminder UK also sent in their expert”.
Continuing with the awards, Raheem Nasirudeen won Axa Mansards’ Best Participant in the Insurance Kaggle Competition prize while Sarah Adigwe won MainOne Best Female Data Scientist award.
The Chief Semantic Architect / Knowledge Engineer at Cymantiks Nigeria Limited, Mr. Emeka Okoye and Acting Director, Centre for Information Technology and Systems(CITS), University of Lagos, Dr Victor Odumuyiwa; the CEO & Co-Founder, Octave Analytics, Blessing Oladeji, and Bayo Aderibigbe, were among those recognised with ‘Industry Support Award’.
The CEO, Terragon Group, Elo Umeh while commending DSN for the efforts to harness talents in the ecosystem, said, “Essentially, it was very much important for us to participate in this DSN AI Summit and the bootcamp.
Dr. Olubayo Adekanmbi, Convener of DSN addressing the participants
It has been very rewarding for us because we have been able to see the great work going on at DSN. We thought it would also be a way for us to contribute to the growth of the industry.
As an emerging space in Nigeria there is a limitation of talents.
“So, at the DSN bootcamp a lot of talents have been identified and that is why Terragon Group is sponsoring two people to Tunisia; these are part of our efforts to support the talents grooming process to develop the ecosystem”
We see a great future for Africa – Microsoft
On his part, Developer Audience Lead for Africa, Microsoft, Lawrence Muthanga said, “We see a great future for Africa. We have a lot of problems and data. What we lack are people who will sit in-between the two; knowing the problems and see the solutions from the data that are being created. With the skills that we have seen here, we are about to see a great change on the Continent”.
Solving local challenges
CEO, BlueChip Technologies Limited, Kazeem Tewogbade, explained why they are supporting DSN thus, “…we care about creating awareness. If you start early (from the University) to gain knowledge, the better of you becoming a specialist. So, if you come to the industry it will be easier for us to bring you in.
“Data Science is an ‘application technology’. In other words, you can apply it in any human endeavour like climate impact, banking, telecoms, even in government, either to optimise or improve the system.”
Speaking on why MainOne rewarded the ‘Best Female Data Scientist, the Company Product Manager, Mojide Aluko, said, “MainOne is a believer in developing the capacity of young Nigerians. MainOne believes that one of the greatest potentials Nigeria have is her people. With a population of about 200 million we understand that these people will be the wealth-builders of the nation.
Emo-Umeh-l-presents-Mr.-Agorithm-award-to-Rise-Adegun-support-by-Dr.-Adekunmbi-scaled
“Therefore, we need to develop the capacity of these people, especially the girl-child because MainOne also recognises that empowering a woman is a means to improve the family and the society at large.
“We are happy to associate with Data Science Nigeria (DSN) because we have seen the strives they have achieved in a matter of years”.
DSN is the fastest growing and the most organic, energetic Data Science Community- Retina-AI
The CEO, Retina-AI, Dr. Stephen Odaibo gave an assessment of DSN growth, describing them as fastest growing and the most organic, energetic Data Science Community in the world.
In his words, “So, in terms of Data Science Nigeria, I came in from Houston and have been involved with the team for a while, and in my assessment, DSN is the fastest growing and the most organic, energetic Data Science Community in the world. It is also a very organised, clearly focused idea in terms of the roadmap.
Cross section of participants
“The growth recorded has been strategic. Now, with the launching of the book on AI and python programming for elementary and junior secondary school students in Nigeria by Olubayo Adekanmbi, it is the first in Africa and one of the reference books in the world; only India and China have similar books in the past.
“That shows you that this is a movement in the right direction and when you look at the people the pre-qualification challenge that was done last year with 530 registrations, it is an exponential growth compared to 200 of last year.
“The impacts will continue to grow, especially with the AI invasion.
The data scientist role has evolved over the years. Ten years ago, the job title “data scientist” had just emerged, although companies had been working with data long before then.
Today, data scientists are doing the work of data analysis, management, and visualization, combined with statistics, engineering, and project management. Massive quantities of data are readily available, and data scientists can use machine learning models and statistical tools to draw inferences from the data.
WhatsApp is launching three new ad features in a global roll-out across the messaging app.
The Meta-owned platform said the new ads will not be shown in the same place as people’s private chats, nor will the contents of their messages – which are encrypted – be used to decide which ads to display.
WhatsApp will instead use the country, city and language of the user, as well as how they interact with other ads and which channels they follow, to drive suggested content.
But people who have chosen to link their WhatsApp account to Facebook or Instagram will see more personalised ads.
The new ad features will appear in a section called Updates, which is a separate tab at the bottom of the app.
WhatsApp claims to have 1.5 billion users globally.
Businesses with channels will be able to choose to promote ads in the Updates section to attract new followers, and also charge a subscription to access extra content.
WhatsApp will eventually take a 10% commission of that fee, and there may also be extra costs on top of that taken at the app store level depending on the size of the business.
Firms will also be able to advertise in the form of a status update, which looks similar to an Instagram story and will link through to start a chat if clicked on.
Social media expert Matt Navarra told reporter that Meta is “laying the foundation for WhatsApp to finally become a monetisable platform at scale”.
But “monetising the periphery” of WhatsApp, while keeping personal chats private, would not be without risk for the company, he added.
This could particularly be the case in markets like the UK and Europe, he said, where the app is viewed primarily as a messaging tool with less appetite for content feeds or adverts.
“Any perception that the app is becoming noisy or Facebook-ified will spark backlash,” he said.
How does WhatsApp make money?
‘Natural extension’
It’s no coincidence that the new features bring WhatsApp more in line with Meta’s other platforms Facebook and Instagram.
“Obviously there’s overlap,” said WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart.
“We have stories on Instagram and stories on WhatsApp, and we now have a way for businesses to promote themselves in both, and we think that’s a good thing.”
He said he believed the move was a “natural extension of messaging services” and not dissimilar to features of rival apps such as Snapchat and Telegram.
For Mr Navarra, it also reflects a wider shift in the social media landscape.
“The feed is dying, public sharing is down, people are retreating into DMs and Stories in small groups,” he said.
“Meta’s trying to turn WhatsApp into a platform without users realising it and if they move too fast or it starts to feel like another ad network, people might disengage or maybe worse, distrust the app.”
Telecom
Airtel Africa Reinforces Commitment to ESG Impact while Advancing Digital, Financial Inclusion Across 14 Markets
Airtel Africa, a provider of telecommunications and mobile money services across 14 African countries, has published its Sustainability Report 2025, reaffirming its corporate purpose of transforming lives by expanding access to essential digital services, supporting inclusive economic growth, and advancing environmental stewardship throughout its operations.
In 2024/25, Airtel Africa made significant progress in bridging the digital divide, advancing financial inclusion and supporting underserved communities through strategic investment in connectivity, people, and sustainable practices.
Airtel Africa’s chief executive officer Sunil Taldar said: “This year’s achievements, from connecting 2,176 schools through the UNICEF partnership to reaching 44.6 million Airtel Money customers with near-gender parity, prove that the power of technology is a catalyst for gender balance. At Airtel Africa, we believe to not only expanding networks but we’re also building bridges to education, financial security and sustainable growth for Africa’s next generation.”
Key ESG highlights:
- Providing underserved communities with access to reliable network and connectivity:
- 2% population coverage across 14 markets (up from 80.4% in 2023/24)
- 36,159 4G infrastructure sites, including more than 15,300 in rural areas.
- Continued investment of $670m in network expansion and modernisation to boost speed, coverage and capacity.
Airtel Africa is connecting the unconnected, giving millions access to voice, data and mobile money services – driving economic opportunity and enhancing access to essential services.
- Bridging the digital divide, driving financial inclusion and addressing gender inequality
- 4 million data customers (+14.1% vs 2023/24)
- 6 million Airtel Money customers (+17.3%), with 44.2% Airtel Money customers who are women (+6.2% vs 2023/24)
- 7 million Airtel Money agents in our distribution network (+23.4% vs 2023/24)
- 2% women in the workforce across the Group (up from 28.3% vs 2023/24)
Through inclusive digital services and affordable financial products, Airtel Africa is empowering individuals and communities, particularly women, to fully participate in the digital economy.
- Unlocking potential through education and employment opportunities
- 2,176 schools connected to the internet free of charge (up from 1,201 in 2023/24)
By providing free connectivity and online resources to schools, Airtel Africa is helping young people reach their full potential. A growing agent network also supports employment and entrepreneurship opportunities across its footprint.
- Minimising the impact of our operations on the environment
- 500 off-grid sites converted to on-grid power, reducing reliance on diesel generators.
- 93% of total waste recycled (+3% vs 2023/24)
Airtel Africa is committed to reducing the impact of its operations on the environment through investment in renewable energy solutions and responsible waste management.
The Sustainability Report 2025 adheres to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and GSMA telecommunications industry standards.
The Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) wishes to inform the public and all mobile subscribers that the migration to the End-User Billing (EUB) model for Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) services will take effect from Wednesday, 18th June 2025.
This transition marks a significant milestone in the evolution of Nigeria’s digital financial ecosystem and is being implemented per the Determination of USSD Pricing and Services issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The Determination was developed in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other key stakeholders to ensure a sustainable, transparent, and customer-friendly framework for USSD service delivery.
USSD services play a vital role in expanding access to financial services, particularly for unbanked and underbanked populations. However, the previous corporate billing model—where banks were billed by telecom operators—led to prolonged disputes over unpaid charges, service interruptions, and uncertainty for customers.
To address these challenges, the NCC’s 2025 Determination introduced the End-User Billing model, which allows mobile network operators to charge customers directly for USSD sessions.
To achieve the implementation of the EUB model, the CBN and NCC have stipulated that only banks that meet certain regulatory and operational conditions are permitted to migrate. One of which is the notification to customers of the billing change in advance, and to ensure that customers are fully aware of the new airtime-based charges and how they will be applied.
Accordingly, under the new billing model, USSD charges will be deducted directly from the customer’s airtime balance, not from their bank account, and each USSD session will attract a charge of ₦6.98 per 120 seconds. To enjoy the service, customers will receive a prompt to opt in and approve the charge before any deduction is made, and there will be no double billing as billing will only occur for successful sessions via airtime deductions.
ALTON wishes to reiterate that this change does not affect the availability or functionality of USSD banking services, as customers can continue to use their bank’s USSD codes as usual, provided they have sufficient airtime.
To ensure a smooth transition, ALTON advises customers to follow these support guidelines:
–For access issues (e.g., inability to dial USSD codes), contact your mobile network operator.
– For transaction-related issues (e.g., failed transfers or service errors), contact your bank’s customer service.
– Both banks and mobile network operators are required to provide responsive support and mensure that customers can access and use USSD services without disruption.
Alternative digital banking channels such as mobile apps, internet banking, and ATMs remain fully operational and available for customer convenience.
ALTON reiterates its commitment to working closely with the NCC, CBN, financial institutions, and other stakeholders to ensure that this transition is seamless, equitable, and beneficial to all parties, especially the end users.
We remain dedicated to promoting transparency, operational efficiency, and consumer protection across Nigeria’s telecommunications and digital finance sectors.
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