COMMUNIQUE

OF THE 2ND BIG DATA ANALYTICS AND INNOVATION

CONFERENCE & 2ND MEETING, HELD AT BAZE
UNIVERSITY, ABUJA, FCT, NIGERIA
11-13TH NOVEMBER, 2015
www.nbdsummit.kiecon.org Email: bigdataconference@kiecon.org

1.0 Context
The Big Data Analytics and Innovation Conference was launched in November 2014 as a platform through which Nigeria can en-
gage very seriously with Big Data analytics and the innovation that surrounds the possible uses of digital information. The confer-
ence has three main goals:

a. to encourage higher education institutions in Nigeria to engage with Big Data Analytics to build capacity and develop best
-fit curricular to significantly improve employment outcome for graduates providing them with opportunities to acquire
sought-after analytics skills;
b. to encourage corporate organisations in Nigeria to engage with the Big Data project to make better use of their data as-
sets, particularly the use of predictive analyticsand deep learningto cut costs, improve efficiency, raise productivity,
and significantly improve the bottom line; and
c. to encourage the Nigerian governmentsat all levelsto engage with Big Data particularly how Big Data analytics can be
used to streamline public service delivery, create opportunities for innovation, and identify new service and policy ap-
proaches as well as supporting the effective delivery of existing programmes across a broad range of government opera-
tionsfrom the maintenance of public infrastructure, through the enhanced delivery of health and education services,
to increasing response times for security personnel in critical situations such as insurgency and terrorism.

The inaugural conference was followed by the first meeting of the Nigerian National Cluster Groups on Big Data Analytics tasked
with taking forward these three goals. The clusters are experts research and knowledge transfer groups, set up to develop ca-
pacity in the critical field of Analytics in science and technologynamely Big Data Analytics, E-Governance & ICT (Baze, Abuja);
Big Data Analytics, Energy, Oil & Gas (Federal University Otuoke); and Big Data Analytics, Telecommunications & National Security
(Federal University of Technology, Minna, twin with the National Defence College, Abuja). These clusters are first of their kinds in
Africaand are expected to pioneer and lead on analytics work on the continent.

This years conference was held at Baze University, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. The conference provided a platform
for academics and other professionals to engage with, as well as keep abreast of the developments in Big Data analytics.

2.0 Attendance
The Conference had in attendance the Vice Chancellor of Baze University, Abuja, Professor Michael Hodd, Pro-Chancellor and
founder of Baze University, Senator (Dr) Datti Baba-Ahmed, CEO of Kitari Consult Limited Lagos, and former, CEO, Jigawa Savings
and Loans Limited, Mr Ali Magashi, as well as former Special Adviser on Technical Matters to the Nigerian President and Secretary
of the Presidential Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Program (SURE-P), Mr Akachukwu Nwankpo.

Additionally, there were participants from 9 higher education institutions namely Baze University, Abuja, Nigeria, Cardiff Metro-
politan University, UK, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria, University of Portsmouth, UK, Middlesex University
UK, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria, University of Salford, Manchester, UK, National Defence College, Abu-
ja, Nigeria and Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger State, Nigeria.

3.0 Conclusions
At the end of the three-day event that featured keynote and paper presentations, interactive Question and Answer sections, for-
ward-looking meeting, participants conclude on the following:

i. The growth of ICT in Nigeria has presented enormous opportunities for streamlining and improving public service
delivery as well as created opportunities for innovation. E-Government, or ICT 4 Development, is not just about web
presence, it is a Government-as-a-Platform (GaaP) service that has a real potential to seamlessly support the effec-
tive delivery of programmes across a broad range of federal, state and local governments operations in Nigeria.
ii. The Nigerian higher education institutions should begin to engage with Big Data Analytics. Application of Big Data
analytics can be used to proactively address student attendance issues, prevent at-risk students or poor perfor-
mance (learning analytics), attrition and campus security (visual analytics from data sourced from CCTV images).
 i. Big Data Analytics is not only useful for social goodto predict and prevent crime and antisocial behaviorbut can
significantly enhance Nigerian national security. Big Data predictive analytics can complement existing information
analysis tools use in law enforcement and intelligence gathering. There is also a critical need to complement rule-
based and well-worn detective approach commonly use in law enforcement and intelligence gathering, to predict and
prevent approach.
ii. Big Data analytics can be used to harness social capital to improve governance and the Happiness Index of Nigeria.
The current use or misuse of social media and social network by some Nigerians, which is beginning to impact nega-
tively on society, could have serious implications for national security. These implications can be minimised by em-
ploying sentiment analytics in social network analysis as applied to Business Intelligence.
iii. Big Data Analytics is central to strategic and operational decision making in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector and should
be embraced.
iv. As Nigeria seeks to broaden and diversify its export base, there is a need to diffuse innovative farm information to and
among farmers. Nigeria should take advantage of smartphone penetration in the country and use the device to en-
hance the diffusion of innovative farm information to Nigerian farmers.
v. The socio-economic and environment impact of pollutionsbe they oil spillages that have characterised coastal com-
munities in Nigeria or heavy metals in sediment of Nigerias Harboursdeserves fresh and urgent actions. Applica-
tions of Big Data analytics will help to map, predict and prevent heavy metals distributions in Nigerias Harbour sys-
tem.
vi. Nigeria needs innovative approach to addressing issues of poverty and unemployment. Nigeria can exploit many
opportunities that cooperative business model provide in entrepreneurship, poverty alleviation and sustainable eco-
nomic development and regeneration.

(Signed)
James Ogunleye, Middlesex University, UK, Conference Chair
Rislan A. Kanya, Baze University, Abuja, Conference Deputy Chair: Dig Data Analytics, E Governance & ICT
20.11.15