L-R: Chief Marketing Officer, Smile Communication, Abdul Hafeez; Ag. Managing Director, Akin Alayoku; Chief Finance Officer, Abhulime Ahigwina; and Head, Brands and Communication, Lotanna Anajemba, at the launch of ‘More Value, More Affordable Data Plans’ campaign by Smile in Lagos recently.

By Juliet Umeh

Nigeria may soon become outsourcing hub for international Data Science if plans by a nongovernmental organisation that democratises artificial intelligence, AI, Data Science. Nigeria, DSN come through.

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The organisation revealed plans to raise 1,000,000 world-class AI talents in the next 10 years.

It said that building a local data science, big data, AI ecosystem will position Nigeria to become the outsourcing hub for international Data Science, Advanced Analytics, Big Data projects with opportunity to access 10 percent share of the global data science outsourcing projects, worth USD 3.3 billion in revenue by 2020. The vision was made known at AI Summit organised by DSN in Lagos recently.

In his keynote address on the topic: ‘Artificial Intelligence for Development’, Director of Intelligent Systems Research at Oregon State University, Prof. Thomas Dietterich, described AI as catalyst for economic advancement.

Dietterich said that AI presents opportunities for economic transformation while emphasising that developing AI enabled weather management solutions, will assist the continent address some challenges faced by farmers thereby leading to improved food production/sufficiency.

He said that with the growing community of AI enthusiasts and learners, Nigeria and indeed Africa will witness a major boost in skills needed for research and development focused on bringing applied Artificial Intelligence solutions to existing community problems. Also, DSN convener, Dr. Olubayo Adekanmbi, said that he desires that by 2025 every Nigerian child under-10-year old understands the concept of AI, its applications and builds the right skills set so that Nigeria becomes the talent pool for the rest of the world.

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Adekanmbi said that as a nation of 200 million people, with median age at 18 years, it is important to prepare the young people for the future by exposing them to the right skill set, “especially when we know that most of the jobs we know today will go into extinction in the next five-10 years.

One of the highlights of the summit was the unveiling of First AI Book for Primary and Junior Secondary School students in Nigeria.

Vanguard