10 at 10:Voices of Data Science Africa
From Uganda to Ghana, Cameroon to Zambia, Data Science Africa (DSA) has trained hundreds of researchers, supported cutting-edge projects through grants and fellowships, and fostered a growing community of Africans shaping the responsible use of data and AI in health, agriculture, and education. But our impact is best measured in people.
Over the years, DSA alumni have gone on to lead research teams at Google, Microsoft, and in universities, launch AI start-ups, advise on policy and ethics, and mentor new cohorts of data scientists. This year, as DSA marks its 10th anniversary, these ten profiles celebrate not only the individuals who have passed through DSA, but the ecosystem that we have built.
A DECADE OF IMPACT: 10 Years of Data Science Africa
Since the first summer school in 2015, held in Nyeri, Kenya, Data Science Africa (DSA) has grown from a small gathering into a pan-African movement for capacity building in data science and artificial intelligence (AI). In a decade, DSA has reached participants in 34 African countries, convened 1,757 attendees across 13 events, and helped launch
- Data Science Africa (DSA)
DSA Founders' Quick-Fire Question and Answer
As Data Science Africa (DSA) marks a decade of impact, its founders reflect on the moments, meanings, and milestones that shaped a movement. In this quick-fire Q&A, DSA’s pioneers share personal insights into what the community represents to them, from nurturing the next generation of African data scientists and building continent-wide networks to witnessing life-changing
- Data Science Africa (DSA)
“Data Science Africa gave me the courage to found my startup”
I never imagined a 20-hour bus ride could change my life. In 2016, as a PhD student in Tanzania, I had no idea how data science could shape my future. My mentor, Morris Agaba, urged me to attend the Data Science Africa (DSA) summer school held at Makerere University in Uganda. “Just go,” he said
- Dina Machuve, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of DevData Analytics.
"You don’t have to know everything to give back"
I first heard about Data Science Africa (DSA) through a friend, Dr. Sekou Remy, who thought I’d find the community interesting. At the time, I was searching for spaces that aligned with my interests. Sekou, who was then at IBM, introduced me to DSA and mentioned they were planning an event in Abuja.
- Elaine Nsoesie, Data scientist and global health researcher at Boston University, United States.
“I grew from writing code to data policy. I trace everything back to Data Science Africa.”
When I started out, I was just a software engineer trying to write cleaner code. Data, policy, AI weren’t part of my plan. But life has a way of changing direction and for me, that turn began with Data Science Africa (DSA).
- Morine Amutorine, Africa Sandboxes Forum Lead at the Datasphere Initiative.
“Data Science Africa taught me anything is possible”
I first saw the call for the Data Science Africa (DSA) summer school back in 2017. At the time, I was just finishing my undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Lagos in Nigeria, dabbling in front-end software development, and teaching myself Python and machine learning. I had no computer science background, no
- Tejumade Afonja, Co-founder of AI Saturdays Lagos and PhD researcher at the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security and Saarland University, Germany.
“Data Science Africa expanded my horizons.”
I work as a researcher at Bowen University in Nigeria, specializing in electrical and electronics engineering and AI. When I started my PhD in 2015, I was fascinated by how AI could be applied to improve agricultural productivity and over the years, my research has expanded into robotics and applied AI.
- Segun Adebayo, Associate professor and director of digital services at Bowen University.
“Data Science Africa is the future.”
I always thought I would become an electrical engineer, but in 2001, the internet was just arriving in Zambia, and I got hooked on computers instead. That curiosity led me to a bachelor’s in Computer Science in 2007, a master’s in South Africa in 2011, and eventually a PhD at the University of Cape Town
- Lighton Phiri, Lecturer and Researcher at The University of Zambia, African AI Research Awards 2022 recipient.
“My Startup dream led me to AI and global impact”
I still remember the day I realized my first startup dream wasn’t going to work out. I had poured my savings into building a mobile app to help people with type 1 diabetes predict their blood sugar levels. The idea was simple but ambitious: because insulin pumps were prohibitively expensive in many African countries, what
- Irené Tematelewo: Data scientist at Microsoft, United States.
“I found my path through Data Science Africa”
I grew up in western Uganda, in Bushenyi, and stumbled into computer science almost by chance. My cousin mentioned the course, my dad encouraged me to apply for it, and soon I was enrolled at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda’s capital. I had no idea where it would take me.
- Godliver Owomugisha: Senior lecturer, Busitema University, Uganda. DSA 2020 Research Awards recipient & 2022 African AI Research Awards recipient.
“I thought I had to leave Ghana to work in AI. Then I found Data Science Africa”
In 2019, when I finished university, I wasn’t sure how to turn my passion for artificial intelligence (AI) into a career. In Ghana, people told me, “You can’t really do AI here, you have to go abroad.” I believed that, until I attended Data Science Africa (DSA) in Accra that same year.
- Emmanuel Brempong: Research Engineer at Google Research, Ghana.
“Without Data Science Africa my journey wouldn’t be the same”
I grew up in rural Kenya, surrounded by farmlands. It was a simple life, but it shaped the way I think about problems and solutions. I learned early on how important observation and curiosity are, noticing how crops grew and how animals behaved. Later, I went to high school quite far from home and then
- Anthony M. Gitau: Intern at Google Research Africa; 2024 DSA fellow