Ibadan and Emerging Data Scientists: The Story of Olumide Adaramoye


What appears to be the genesis of growing data scientists in large number is Saturdays.AI, a global movement orchestrated as a non-profit organisation with a mission of letting interested individuals understand artificial intelligence beyond the conventional education path. Throughout the world, Saturdays.AI has been coded as AISaturdays in cities and towns. In Nigeria, it is AISaturdays Lagos. As one of the leading AISaturdays’ cities in the country, Lagos AISaturdays has attracted and still attracting prospective Data Scientists.
Ahmed Olanrewaju is one of the global 5,000 AI Fellows and the initiator of the Ibadan AISaturdays. In a recent interview with Infoprations, Olanrewaju, a Staff at the Nigerian oldest University, University of Ibadan says “I felt strongly that it is really worth creating and driving a community in the city of Ibadan to give more upcoming researchers and professionals more opportunity to learn.”
Source: Google Trends, 2019; Infoprations Analysis, 2019
For more than a year, AIStaurdays Ibadan has been training a number of data science enthusiasts and professionals at Kola Daisi Hall, Department of Computer Science, University of Ibadan. Olumide Adaramoye is one of the beneficiaries of Olanrewaju’s decision to change various narratives about Ibadan. In this WETi (What Expert Tells Infoprations), Olumide speaks about his experience, the future of data science and artificial intelligence in Ibadan.
How would you describe your experience so far?
My experience has been an amazing one. Being a member of AI Saturdays Ibadan, I made a big jump in my interest in data science when I co-hosted Data Science Nigeria's AI+ Boot camp in the city of Ibadan. Through our concerted efforts, we were able to enlighten over three hundred youths in Ibadan on the skills of the Future (through new media) and introduce more than one hundred youths to the basics of data science and machine learning programming. As a Step-down we're taking this knowledge to the younger generation and introducing them to these competencies even at their young age. By 2020, it's our vision to have trained a total of 1000 teenagers in python for data science and machine learning programming.
What have been the significant skills and knowledge you have gained that you intend to use to unlock inherent opportunities in data economy?
Basically, behind all data analysis is the need to solve a problem. I've been exposed to the effectiveness of data analysis in solving everyday problems. I want to apply this knowledge to help FCMGs make better consumer and marketing decisions.


Does AI have a future in Ibadan?
Yes, it does. I can boldly say Ibadan has one of the budding economies in Nigeria currently. There has been an increase in influx of knowledge, investment and innovation in Ibadan compared to the past and it can only get better. Ibadan is one of the largest and most populous cities in Nigeria. There are truckloads of data being created, transferred and processed daily and wherever data is, Artificial Intelligence thrives. By building appropriate frameworks, we can convert these piles of data into meaningful information that can help fast-track development and innovation in the state.  I look forward to the synergistic partnership of AI Saturdays with different innovation hubs and government's ministries and agencies within the state. I believe the goldmine we're sitting on can and should be shared to various networks in order to achieve Data Science Nigeria's vision of 1 million AI talents in 10 years. It's possible. 100,000 can emerge from this city.

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