‘I learnt a lot in class. I learnt about ODK for the first time during the DSFP and now, I call myself a full stack ODK developer’ – Daniel Ayuba Laah
Since the launch of the Data Lab project in 2018, the Kaduna State Government and its partners have worked very hard to institutionalize a robust evidence-based planning process in the state. To sustain this institutional reform for the long term, the Data Science Fellowship Programme (DSFP), was developed as a critical component of the project that will advance human capital around data science and the use of data for decision-making. The first year of the programme saw the selection of 30 young people from a pool of over 6,000 applicants. The young individuals embarked on 3 months of extremely hands-on in-class training sessions with expert Data Science instructors and 3 months of incredibly practical field activities.
The 2021 DSFP had the right mix of everything data science in it. From learning how to use the latest data analysis tools, to working in the field with highly experienced Kaduna State Bureau of Statistics data collectors, to building soft skills that will advance their careers in any workplace, and lastly, a series of guest lectures carefully designed to help the fellows learn from experienced and renowned leaders in the public service and the healthcare industry. As the implementation partner on the programme, we did our best to ensure that our DSFP graduates were set up for immediate success in the job market upon graduation, and this has paid off huge dividends. Several DSFP graduates have secured jobs and others have successfully secured post-graduate admissions overseas to further their education.
One such graduate is Daniel Ayuba Laah, a 33-year of Master’s degree holder from the University of Surrey University in England. Daniel spent 6 months on the Click-On Kaduna Data Science Fellowship Programme learning and mastering his Data Science skills. Beyond the 6 months programme, he was recruited, along with 8 other fellows, to work as interns with NFTI on some projects.
Daniel was delighted to oblige our team’s interview request. He shared his captivating story about his post-DSFP journey with us during the sit-down.
Daniel Ayuba Laah works remotely as a Data Engineer with Style Seat, a UK-based fashion hub. He began his Data Science journey in 2015 while he was conducting research on ‘jobs of the future. He successfully transitioned from software engineering to data analytics by learning python and other tools online. Daniel was in the UK when he heard about the DSFP and saw it as an opportunity to merge his theoretical knowledge with a practical, real-time data handling opportunity.
In his words, Daniel said, ‘ I can say that the fellowship made it a reality for me to work with practical and real-time data. I was job hunting in the United Kingdom when I got an email from a job and scholarship opportunities website that I once subscribed to. The email contained information about a Data Science Fellowship opportunity in my home state, Kaduna. I read all I could about it, did more research on the programme’s website and sent in my application. It overjoyed me when I scaled through the first stage of the application process.’ Daniel travelled back to Nigeria, completed the application process and got selected to participate in the programme.
‘I needed the fellowship programme because while I was job hunting in the United Kingdom, I discovered that my software engineering skills didn’t really count, as most companies were looking for data scientists. Coming down to Nigeria was worth the risk.’
In March 2022, Daniel got admitted into the University of Surrey in England for his PhD. ‘my data science fellowship experience played a big role in helping me secure the doctorate programme, and I will always remain grateful for that he added.
Daniel Ayuba answered some questions about his DSFP class experience to conclude the interview. ‘I learnt a lot in class. I learnt about ODK for the first time during the DSFP and now, I call myself a full stack ODK developer, he answered with a grin.
‘The best experience for me was getting to work with real data. I’m proud to be a part of the team that worked on the covid-19 dashboard, and I am happy to see that what we did was part of what informed the state government on decisions to take about public health. I also worked with a team on the Integrated Supportive Supervision. I can humbly say that what we did impact the primary healthcare sector in the state. The skills we gathered here and the network we have built over time are a plus for us and we are proud to have opened the door for every future cohort.’
Before leaving Nigeria for his doctorate program, Daniel successfully co-founded a data analytics start-up called Krocs Analytica. The team featured in the 2022 Kaduna Datathon competition by developing data transformation solutions which involved building error workflow models from the ODK to the data factory.
Krocs Analytica made it all the way to the finals of the Data Science Hackathon where they emerged as first-place runner-up.
