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E-Business

AI Adoption: Akindeinde Assures Nigerians on Jobs, Calls for Up-Skilling of Knowledge

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Dr. Oluseyi Akindeinde, co-founder, Hyperspace Technologies Limited
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Dr Oluseyi Akindeinde, Founder, Hyperspace and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) NeuRaL AI, has said that AI adoption as disruptive as it may be, would not take away people’s jobs rather it would enhance their productivity.

Dr. Oluseyi Akindeinde, co-founder, Hyperspace Technologies Limited

Dr Akindeinde made this assertion at the NITRA ICT Growth Conference 4.0, organised by Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) and was held on Wednesday, 28th of August, 2024, at the CitiHeight Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

The event themed “Impact of AI on National Development: Prospects, Policies, and Challenges in Nigeria” hosted industry players to brainstorm on the prospects and also proffer solutions to challenges of Artificial Intelligence’s adoption in Nigeria.

Akindeinde also asserted that up-skilling of knowledge is a crucial requirement for sustainable AI adoption in Nigeria.

To discuss the topic Akindeinde started with the challenges facing AI adoption in Nigeria which includes phobia that it would disrupt and sack people from their jobs.

He assured Nigerians that AI would not take their jobs, maintaining that the problem with Nigerians is that there is always fear whenever a piece of technology is introduced in the country.

“Any time there is new technology that comes in, there is that phobia, there is that fear that it is going to be disruptive, yes, it is disruptive but when a piece of technology is disruptive that means it can do things cheaper, it can do things faster and it can do things better.

“But some of the challenges are based on the assumption that AI is going to take our jobs, and because it is going to take our jobs, the first thing is to push it back and will not allow it.

“I am here to assure that AI is not going to take anybody’s job, it is the same thing about 25 years ago when we started hearing about internet, even Journalists felt at a time, are we still going to have newspaper, anybody can just go online and have a blog and start reporting, you know, are we still going to have TV since somebody would go on Youtube and upload a video.

“And if you look back you recall how information was consumed back then, when something happened you probably wouldn’t hear about that event until, maybe, 7 o’clock news or 9 o’clock news or the following day when the newspapers will report it, but when the internet came, it democratized information dissemination. The same thing is happening with artificial intelligence,” he said.

Akindeinde further stated that rather than take away jobs, Artificial intelligence is going to help Nigerians, adding that the intelligence is still artificial.

“Whatever you are currently doing it is going to help your operation, it is not going to take your job because at the end of the day AI is artificial intelligence. Now for it to work that means something has existed which is human intelligence.

“That human intelligence has being with human for ages, which it put together to make artificial intelligence and the thing about AI is that the things humans find difficult to do, that is what AI is doing. The things we find easy to do, AI cannot do them.

“For instance, if I keep my phone on a platform and I said go into the room and pick my phone on the table, now the AI because you programmed it for the table, it will come back to tell you I can’t find your phone.

“But the human being will say okay, it is not on the table, it is elsewhere, he will pick it, but what humans find difficult, is what AI does better.

“As a Reporter, AI would make your job better; there is an app in the phone that as I am speaking, it is recording and not only recording, once I say stop, everything recorded, it would transcribe everything.

“Another person who doesn’t have it would use one hour transcribing the recording, but the AI would do that second, so right now you can be more productive.

He said AI can also be used in the movie industry, saying that AI can listen to every conversation in a movie and transcribe in two minutes what would take one week or more to transcribe.

He muted the idea of the need for training for Journalists on AI so that they will understand the workings of AI for proper information dissemination.

Speaking about the impact of AI on education, he said that Africa is wired for consumption, adding that they don’t produce and they don’t do things that affect the global economy all because of the educational system.

He gave the instance of China where their educational system permits them to teach their children in their local language, the language they understand.

“With AI when you are teaching in English it will be appearing to the person in his own language, everything is converted on the spot, it is not as if they are going to translate it, it is not as if you are going to teach Igbo teacher mathematics, no, AI can do that for you on the spot.”

Akindeinde disclosed further that AI can also help a vision impaired person by deploying a vision model to know what is happening around them.

He decried the absence of skilled personnel among professionals for adjudication and or regulation of issues relating to IA, he therefore suggested that lawyers, Journalists, doctors and others should go for training to up-skill their knowledge on the workings of AI.

During the panel session he also tackled the question if Nigeria has the requisite skill to embrace the concept of artificial intelligence, he said that Nigerians do not have the requisite skill right now.

According to him, “So, one of the things we have noted is that we don’t have that skill, even the regulator as well because the challenge is that technology will always precede regulation but if you want to regulate you can’t regulate what you don’t understand.

“How come we had protest, and we cannot use AI to identify those who were looting, stealing or causing destruction, I know in other climes they have a data base where they can actually tell you the person.

“But in other to do all these you need the skill, you need the understanding of the piece of technology that you are going to be dealing with.”

He added that AI as a piece of technology, a general all-purpose technology that can be used across several industries, just like the internet.

He said, “It is technology for everybody and there is no special internet engineer because everybody has skill, internet skill, because we know it will help us.”


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

E-Business

Kike, Nigerian Tech Firm Launches ‘Kike AI’ for Kitchen Innovation

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Kike Technologies, a Nigerian technology firm, has launched ‘Kike AI’, a revolutionary artificial intelligence-driven kitchen application designed to transform Nigeria’s food and cooking gas industries.

Kike, Nigerian Tech Firm Launches ‘Kike AI’ for Kitchen Innovation

The app aims to enhance convenience for consumers while optimising gas supply through predictive technology.

Speaking at the launch event, Femi Oye, CEO of Kike Technologies, highlighted the app’s ability to address a common household issue, unexpected depletion of cooking gas.

“Using advanced algorithms and data analytics, this app can forecast when a user’s gas cylinder is running low, enabling them to order refills ahead of time,” Oye explained.

Beyond individual household benefits, Kike AI is expected to have a broader economic impact by creating jobs within the logistics, gas retail, and food industries.

“We anticipate significant job growth as the app gains traction, particularly in delivery and gas station services,” Oye noted.

The app is also designed to bridge the digital gap, specifically targeting women and marginalised groups by providing them with opportunities to showcase their culinary skills and earn a sustainable income.

According to Oye, this initiative will not only empower women economically but also help preserve Nigeria’s rich culinary heritage.

By leveraging AI technology, Kike AI aims to revolutionise everyday cooking experiences, support economic development, and create essential employment opportunities in Nigeria’s growing tech and food sectors.

The application is expected to drive a shift towards more efficient cooking gas management, ensuring affordability and ease of access for millions of users.


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Africa’s Data Workers are Being Exploited by Foreign Tech Firms – Report

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Data workers in Africa often have a hard time, according to a report published in theconversation.com, a nonprofit, independent news organization dedicated to unlocking the knowledge of experts for the public good.

Africa’s Data Workers are Being Exploited by Foreign Tech Firms – Report

The article by Mohammad Amir Anwar, senior lecturer in African Studies and International Development, University of Edinburgh, found that data workers in Africa face job insecurities – including temporary contracts, low pay, arbitrary dismissal and worker surveillance – and alarming physical and psychological health risks.

The consequences of their work can include exhaustion, burnout, mental health strain, chronic stress, vertigo and weakening of eyesight.

Data work includes text prediction, image and video annotation, speech to text validation and content moderation.

The world of data work is built on labour arbitrage – exploiting the fact that workers earn less and have less protection in some countries than in others.

Large technology firms often outsource this work to the global south, including African countries like Kenya, Uganda and Madagascar, and also India and Venezuela.

The result is complex production networks that are generally opaque and shrouded in secrecy.

Workers and researchers have issued many warnings about data workers’ health.

Despite numerous court cases in multiple jurisdictions, nothing much has been done to address these issues either by tech companies or by regulators.

Still, the news of the death of a Nigerian content moderator, Ladi Anzaki Olubunmi, who was found dead in her apartment in Nairobi, Kenya on 7 March 2025, came as a shock.

While the circumstances of her death are still unclear, it has renewed calls for wider systemic change.

Her death has sparked condemnation from the Kenyan Union of Gig Workers, which demanded an investigation.

Since 2015, we have been studying the central role of African data workers in building and maintaining artificial intelligence (AI) systems, acting as “data janitors”.

Our research found that companies rarely acknowledge the use of human workers in AI value chains, thus they remain “hidden” from the public eye. In other words, the world of AI is built on the toil of human workers most people are unaware of.

In this article, we outline key steps needed to protect these data workers in Africa.

They include business process outsourcing regulations, ensuring quality rather than quantity of jobs, and providing social protection. There is also a need to name and shame companies that maltreat data workers.

Data work needs tighter regulation.

Regulation

Business process outsourcing is the practice of procuring various processes or operations from external suppliers or vendors.

Firms that do this are sometimes trying to evade local regulations (like minimum wages) and responsibility towards workers’ welfare (via sub-contracting and the use of temporary employment agencies).

This is happening in Africa as some data training firms and digital labour platforms circumvent local labour laws.

But there is more to the story.

Data work is also seen by lawmakers and practitioners as a solution to the rampant unemployment and informality across Africa.

African governments have actively created regulatory environments that enable these practices to thrive, despite adverse outcomes for workers.

Nonetheless, new regulations have been proposed lately, like the Kenyan government’s Business Law (Amendment) Bill, 2024 targeting the wider business process outsourcing and IT-enabled services sector.

Particularly, it makes business process outsourcing firms responsible for any claim raised by employees. It ensures some accountability for firms bringing data work to Africa.

Other governments should follow with similar measures ensuring worker rights are enforceable. Some data workers are hired on contracts as short as five days and get paid less than the local minimum wage.

Firms found violating labour standards should be penalised.

In fact, there is an urgent need to create regional or continent-wide regulatory frameworks covering the business process outsourcing sector, limiting the space for firms to exploit workers.

It’s possible, however, that jobs might be lost as firms relocate to places with favourable laws, an everyday reality in the outsourcing networks.

Quality, not quantity

African governments should prioritise the quality of jobs and not quantity. Policymakers should think about wider national economic development plans, particularly structural diversification and upgrading of their economies.

Historically, these strategies have resulted in success in some states, addressing social and economic issues such as unemployment, poverty and inequality.

Another option for African governments is to enhance social protection among data workers.

Financing this is a serious issue, so proper taxation and compliance among workers and employers is urgently needed.

Finally, there is a role for naming and shaming firms that treat their data workers poorly. There is evidence that such efforts improve compliance and firms’ behaviour.

Worker movements

African data workers have taken risks in openly speaking about their experiences.

But these kinds of approaches work well when combined with collective bargaining.

Workers have historically won their labour and civil rights after long and hard-fought struggles.

There is a long history of African worker movements and trade unions resisting the apartheid and colonial regimes across the continent.

While the freedom of association is enshrined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and most governments have legislation committed to collective bargaining, it is rarely implemented in the new outsourcing sectors, particularly data work.

It is also difficult to organise workers in the industry, because of the high churn rate. For instance, data training firms like Sama offer short-term contracts to employees, often as short as five days.

Some firms are hostile to workers’ organising activities.

But numerous data worker-led associations have emerged in Africa recently, some led by the co-authors of this article.

Techworker Community Africa, African Tech Workers Rising, African Content Moderators Unions and Data Labelers Association are among them.

These initiatives are crucial to ensure workers have decent remuneration, work-life balance, adequate working hours, protection against arbitrary dismissal, safe working environments, and contributions towards their health and welfare.

Several high-profile court cases are currently being pursued by African data workers against Meta and Sama.

There is precedent. In 2021. Meta was ordered by a Californian court to pay US$85 million to 10,000 content moderators.

AI-dependent tools such as ChatGPT or driverless cars would not exist without African data workers. They are tired of being “hidden”. They deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.

 

Mophat Okinyi, Kauna Malgwi, Sonia Kgomo and Richard Mathenge co-authored this article.


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NIMC Says NIN Mandatory to Government Loans

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National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) said the National Identification Number (NIN) is a mandatory requirement for securing government loans.

NIMC Says NIN Mandatory to Government Loans

NIMC said on its social media platform that the identity number has become compulsory for Bank of Industry (BOI) loans.

NIMC said, “Enroll for your NIN today to access business aid and other opportunities from the Bank of Industry.

“To access the services of the Bank of Industry (BOI), enroll for the NIN.”

Recall that the federal government, through the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment (FMITI), established three funds totaling N200bn to support businesses across Nigeria.

The fund will be accessed at nine per cent interest, to be disbursed by the Bank of Industry (BOI).

The funds established by the government were the Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme (PCGS), the FGN MSME Intervention Fund, and the FGN Manufacturing Sector Fund.

The government appointed BOI as the executing agency for the funds and is empowered with the responsibility for their day-to-day administration.

“The Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme (PCGS) is a N50bn grant scheme to support eligible Nano Business owners. The grant will be disbursed to a minimum of 1,000 beneficiaries, especially women and youths, per Local Government Area (LGA) in the 774 LGAs across the nation and the six Council Areas in the FCT.

“The target Nano businesses include traders, food vendors, ICT businesses, transporters, artisans, and creatives, among others,” said Dr. Olasupo Olusi, managing director/chief executive officer, BOI.

 

 

 

 

 

 


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