The African Engineering and Technology (AFRETEC) Network at the University of Lagos kicked off a three-day workshop on Introduction to Machine Learning with TensorFlow at NITHub on June 16, 2025. The workshop aims to equip Africa’s future Artificial Intelligence (AI) leaders with essential skills to tackle real-world challenges through machine learning technology.
Spearheading the training is Dr. Babatunde Sawyer, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Founding Lead of the Machine Intelligence Research Group (MIRG). As Co-Lead of the Knowledge Creation Pillar of AFRETEC-UNILAG, Dr. Sawyer emphasized that the workshop is a strategic move aimed at nurturing a new generation of African AI experts.
“This is more than just a workshop,” he said. “It’s a call to equip young African minds with the tools and mindset needed to leverage machine learning in solving real-world challenges facing our continent.”
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics and Research), Professor Bola Oboh, was present to declare the workshop open. She urged participants to seize the opportunity to become active innovators.
Her words: “I know that there’s a lot of energy in the room. We are expectant that your curiosity will lead to innovative solutions that will serve our society most in many significant ways.”
Participants, numbering thirty-three in total, came from various institutions including University of Lagos, Lagos State University, Lagos State University of Science and Technology, Obafemi Awolowo University, West Midlands Open University, and Yaba College of Technology. Their diverse academic backgrounds, spanning Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Statistics, and Mathematics, brought a rich blend of perspectives to the workshop.
Over the course of the first day, facilitators: Dr. Babatunde Sawyer and Mr. Sunday Afolabi guided participants through foundational topics such as the Overview and real-world applications of Machine Learning, Development cycles, Data representation, and hands-on practice with TensorFlow and Keras. Participants were further grouped into eight interdisciplinary teams, where they brainstormed potential solutions to everyday problems using the knowledge they had just acquired.
As the workshop continues through to Wednesday, June 18, the energy and ambition in the room point to a future brimming with promise. By equipping these emerging talents with cutting-edge AI tools and knowledge, the organisers are not just teaching; they are planting seeds of innovation that would one day transform industries and societies across the continent.
In the words of Professor Oboh, “this gathering is a fertile ground where curiosity meets purpose and the results may well define Africa’s digital future”.
Report: Isaiah Kumuyi
Photography: Joshua Michael
