Tech Dreams: The Story of Serah Akojenu’s Journey to Data Science & Artificial Intelligence

Serah Akojenu grew up as the only daughter and fourth child in a family of four children. As the only girl, she was assigned the responsibilities of carrying out the house chores from a young age, while her brothers were excused from this duty. This upbringing helped Serah develop valuable skills and the strong work ethic that she carries with her today.

She graduated from the Federal University of Technology, Akure with a degree in surveying and geoinformatics. Her ambition was to work in technology and use her geospatial and data science expertise to solve environmental and agricultural issues.

During her final year of university, she became interested in artificial intelligence and how it could be integrated into her field of study to make an impact. In 2019, Serah learned about technology through a paid bootcamp, but it was not until last year, when she participated in the Women Techsters program, that she fully transitioned into the field.

Although the initial 6-week tech course she enrolled in did not provide the desired knowledge, she remained adamant that this was the path she wanted to pursue. After graduating, Serah pursued further studies in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

Alongside the Fellowship training, she volunteered for several events, including SHE Code Africa and WEtech, to gain experience and network with others in the industry.

During this time, she also became aware of the Empower Her community and took part in their Excel training. There she met a woman who helped mentor her and keep her motivated through her journey.

Serah’s tech journey has been challenging and stretching, with limited access to data subscriptions and an unstable electricity supply being her primary obstacles. However, she persevered, leveraging social media and the support of her family and friends to overcome these challenges.

During the Fellowship training, Serah was able to familiarize herself with essential technologies such as Microsoft Excel, Power Bi, PostgreSQL, Python, Data analysis, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, and others. She also appreciated the intense training and wonderful facilitator that has stretched her.

Serah praises her tutor, Mohamed, for his patience in answering her questions and helping her understand complex topics. She plans to maximize the knowledge gained during the Fellowship by being intentional about her development and achieving her career goals.

A major highlight of her Women Techsters Training experience was the Tech Girls drive she participated in, where Serah was able to enlighten 50 young girls about technology, giving her a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Through volunteering, she was also interviewed for a Data Scientist internship role at Data Scientists Network formerly known as Data Science Nigeria (DSN), sub-Saharan Africa’s leading Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology enterprise committed to building Africa’s AI talents ecosystem, and developing solutions for governance, education, health, retail, and finance and was pleasantly surprised to receive a congratulatory email. Although it is an internship role, Serah is happy to be able to earn money to assist her husband financially.

Moving forward, Serah intends to focus on her current internship and pivot for the next big thing in her career. She advises others to have a clear career plan and consider how technology can help them achieve their goals, as passion is the driving force when facing challenges.