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Terragon Seeks Govt Support for Growth of Data Science in Nigeria
Ayodeji Balogun, co-founder and chief operations officer, Terragon Group, has urged government to partner with the private sector in order to fashion out 21st century curriculum that would prepare Nigerian students to fit into the emerging fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Science, among others.
He stated this at the recently concluded 2019 Data Science Nigeria (DSN) Summit & Bootcamp held in Lagos.
According to him, “We think that in terms of curriculum in the educational system in our schools, government can work together with private sector to influence the curriculum and infuse more advanced topics around data science, machine learning so that students could get access and hands on experience at a very early stage, before they get out of school and get trained by their employers.”
He also called on the government to provide adequate infrastructure that would enable players in the ecosystem perform their duties optimally.
“The biggest problems we have in Nigeria as far as I’m concerned, is access to data and infrastructure. In other countries, the government provides access to some sample data sets that engineers can work with to train their models, you don’t have to think about looking for data sets, here in Nigeria, there’s nothing like that, so we think that government can support a lot in that area”.
“In a continent of about 1.2 billion people across a landscape that may be larger than many other continents put together, it is often quite difficult to identify and reach people in Africa.
At Terragon, our goal is to use data and technology to simplify this process of connecting brands to the African consumer through intelligent connections at scale on the mobile device”
“We rely very heavily on data, and leverage data science to enable smart connections to mobile for businesses across Africa. Data science, artificial intelligence and machine learning are the tools of our trade.
This is why partnering with the Data Science Nigeria AI Summit and Bootcamp was very natural for us, as it aligns with our key objectives and goals. It has been very rewarding for us because we have been able to contribute to the growth of the ecosystem as well as the emerging talents that will lead us into the future.”
Balogun commended the conveners of DSN for the giant’s strides they have made in the sector, especially in the area of democratizing of AI knowledge through their various programmes in our tertiary institutions.
He also acknowledged that a lot still needs to be done in order to get Nigeria students ready for the forthcoming 4IR.
“As far as AI is concerned in Nigeria, it is still day one; we have not even scratched the surface at all. It is a long road and I’m happy about platforms like DSN because we are laying the foundation, but there is a lot that can be done. Which is why we have collaborated with Data Science Nigeria to train young talents in the different masterclasses we delivered to hundreds of data science young talents, we are also sending two outstanding students to Tunisia, to learn more about Data Science and Artificial intelligence.”
“We have a lot of simple problems in our society that AI and Machine learning can help us solve and I’m looking forward to young people building solutions in our space around data analytics & marketing technology to help startups achieve product market fit faster and help enterprises businesses explore new growth areas. I’m confident that AI can help Nigeria leapfrog to the rest of the world in several other areas around education, healthcare, security, logistics and even governance” he stated.
Terragon which started 10 years ago has offices in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa and India with more offices being planned in other continents; Terragon has invested millions of dollars in marketing cloud and data analytics technologies to lead innovation in enterprise marketing and cloud solutions in Nigeria and Africa.
“Our commitment to helping African businesses grow faster and achieve maximum growth and return on investments”, Balogun concludes.
SHELT, a leading cybersecurity-as-a-service provider, has earned inclusion in the 2025 MSSP 250, the annual ranking of the world’s top 250 Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) by MSSP Alert, a CyberRisk Alliance publication.
SHELT
The list evaluates firms on business performance, service breadth, and industry impact, spotlighting those excelling in growth, operational excellence, and advanced managed security amid rising cyber threats. Selection criteria include annual recurring revenue, profitability, workforce expansion, business growth, and the depth of managed security offerings.
SHELT’s recognition underscores its investments in scalable security operations, threat intelligence, and tailored managed services across multiple regions, enabling clients to navigate complex risk landscapes effectively.
“Being recognised in the MSSP 250 is a meaningful milestone for our team,” stated Youssef Abillama, CEO of SHELT. “It validates our focus on building practical, resilient security services that help organisations manage risk and respond effectively to today’s evolving cyber threats.”
The company hailed the honour as testament to its teams’ dedication and expertise worldwide, reaffirming commitment to enhancing capabilities and delivering trusted cybersecurity solutions.
Meta Platforms, owner of Facebook, has appointed Dina Powell McCormick, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, as its new president and vice chairman, bolstering its leadership amid aggressive AI and infrastructure expansion.
Dina Powell McCormick
The announcement, made on Monday, positions Powell McCormick – who recently stepped down from Meta’s board after eight months – to guide overall strategy, including multi-billion-dollar investments in data centres and global partnerships.
A Goldman Sachs veteran with 16 years in senior roles and prior stints as deputy national security adviser under Trump and in the Bush administration, she brings deep finance and international ties to the role.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg hailed her as “uniquely qualified” for the company’s next growth phase, while President Trump praised the move on Truth Social as a “fantastic choice”.
The hire signals Meta’s efforts to strengthen White House relations, following recent dinners with Trump and U.S. investment pledges worth hundreds of billions
X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has suspended the @Twitter account, replacing its profile with a standard notice citing violation of platform rules.
Musk
The action, which occurred on Sunday, January 11, left users encountering the handle greeted by a bold “Account Suspended” message on a black screen, with no details provided on the specific rules broken or the duration of the suspension.
The development has sparked widespread confusion and nostalgia among users, given that Elon Musk rebranded Twitter to X in July 2023, approximately six months after acquiring the platform for $44 billion in late 2022.
The @Twitter handle had remained dormant since before Musk’s takeover, serving as a legacy remnant of the platform’s original branding, and its suspension appears to mark the final erasure of the Twitter name amid X’s ongoing efforts to combat spam, impersonation, and rule violations.
X’s official statement on the suspended page simply reads: “X suspends accounts that violate our rules,” without offering an appeal process or further explanation, unlike standard user suspensions.
Public reactions on social media ranged from humorous laments of “RIP Twitter” to speculation that the move resulted from automated moderation or a deliberate cleanup of legacy trademarks.
xAI’s Grok AI described it as a purposeful retirement of outdated elements rather than a genuine infraction, while neither Elon Musk nor X spokespeople issued any comment as of Monday morning.
This incident underscores the evolving identity of the platform under Musk’s ownership, which also saw a domain shift to x.com in 2024, further distancing it from its Twitter roots.
Industry observers note that while the suspension aligns with X’s stricter enforcement policies, the lack of transparency has fueled debates on consistency in applying rules to high-profile legacy accounts.
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