Great Artificial Intelligence Companies in Nigeria

Ever since artificial intelligence first came alive, it has remained a topic of interest for most programmers and entrepreneurs. Given that we’re still in the early stages of utilizing its benefits, there’s still a lot that we can do with artificial intelligence, especially in a country like Nigeria.

Sadly, Nigerian companies have not fully harnessed the power of AI, no thanks to the high barrier of entry. It takes time to learn how to create and train machine learning models to make powerful artificial intelligence systems, slowing the adoption of the technology in the country.

Thankfully, some companies are cutting through the clutter and making strides in AI, even with the obvious challenges. In this article, I will show you some of the best artificial intelligence companies in Nigeria to learn from. Before jumping into that, however, let’s look at what an AI company means exactly.

What are Artificial Intelligence Companies?

The concept of an artificial intelligence company is still widely misunderstood among African tech entrepreneurs. For a good understanding of what makes an AI company, it’s crucial to understand what AI means in and of itself.

Artificial intelligence refers to an aspect of technology that enables a computer or software to learn, sense, act, and make decisions with intelligence similar to that of a human. The more human an AI system is, the better built it is.

From that definition, it’s clear that an artificial intelligence company makes use of computers or computer software that learns and makes human-like decisions. The company may not be offering any artificial intelligence services per se, but the existence of a dedicated artificial intelligence team that contributes to product development makes them an AI company.

That definition expands the list of AI companies, but that doesn’t make them excessive in Nigeria. Granted, Nigerian companies are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence and there are more than a few companies that use it actively, we can still do a lot more.

Now that you know what artificial intelligence means, the following section will outline some of the reasons why it is beneficial to Nigerian companies. Then, you will get a breakdown of the top artificial intelligence companies in Nigeria.

Benefits of Artificial Intelligence for Nigerian Companies

You need no soothsayer to conclude that Nigerian companies do not use artificial intelligence as much as they should. There are a couple of explanations for why that is the case, but none of those can compete with the usefulness of AI for businesses.

The most important reason why most startups do not consider AI at all is cost. Hiring a competent artificial intelligence engineer is crazy expensive, and you will need a fat budget to hire even the least experienced developer for an AI role.

To determine if the cost is a valid reason to avoid using the power of AI altogether, here are some of the benefits of artificial intelligence for companies that implement them correctly.

1. Reduction of human error

One thing we can’t take away from humans is the ability to mess up at any time, making mistakes that could be impactful. When you keep someone at the helm of affairs, there’s a pretty good chance that they’ll make a mistake that will eventually cost your company in the long run.

On the other hand, while an AI system mightn’t be as smart as a human alternative, it will work faster and make no mistakes, given that it’s programmed correctly. The only chance of an AI system failing is if there’s a human error during its development, which is not its fault.

2. Automation of critical business processes

Thanks to the power of artificial intelligence, companies can now automate tasks that required an entire team of humans, allowing them to move to more serious departments. A classic example of a critical business process that AI handles perfectly is the support system.

According to multiple surveys, most of the questions that the support channel of a company gets are repeated questions with the same answers. Instead of hiring a person to show users how to change their passwords eighty-three times every day, you can simply have AI handle it for you.

Benefits of Chatbots for business owners

While that does not mean you will have to dissolve your support team, they surely will not be occupied with answering predictable questions anymore, leaving them free for better roles within the organization.

3. Cost reduction

If a business uses AI to its maximum potential, it won’t need to hire as many employees as a random business that works entirely with human staff. Since the machines are also faster in certain tasks, delays should also be minimal in a company that makes good usage of AI.

Businesses that don’t have a humongous payroll will save more money, making it easier for them to offer their products or services at a cheaper price. Even for the lower price, the company usually has a high-profit margin, while completing tasks faster than companies that haven’t adopted AI.

Top Artificial Intelligence Companies in Nigeria

At this point, you should know that being a tech company without using AI in Nigeria is not all that smart. However, the vast majority of companies in Nigeria offer no artificial intelligence services, nor do they use AI in their workflow.

Here are some of the few companies in Nigeria that are making strides in the adoption of artificial intelligence technologies in the country.

1. KiaKia

KiaKia is a classic example of a Nigerian company that utilizes the power of artificial intelligence to offer services that would be impossible otherwise. While it isn’t the most popular FinTech startup out there, this article isn’t a popularity contest; it’s a list of the best artificial intelligence companies in Nigeria!

The company is an online peer-to-peer lending marketplace that matches lenders with borrowers in real-time. The impressive usage of AI technology on this platform comes from its credit scoring algorithm, which uses data from the borrower’s spending history.

Also, KiaKia sets a flexible minimum and maximum investment amounts according to many pointers, which is another notable work of its AI. There’s also Mr. K, an AI virtual assistant that helps you while you use the KiaKia platform. Overall, it’s one of the best artificial intelligence companies in Nigeria.

2. Zummit Africa

Zummit Africa is one of the few companies in Nigeria and Africa as a whole whose entire mission is to help you solve your business goals using artificial intelligence. A quick visit to the website will prompt you to enter the problem so they can solve it with AI.

One advantage of working with Zummit Africa is that there’s no limit to what you can do. As long as you’re aiming for something within the umbrella of AI, there’s always a chance that you can do it in partnership with Zummit.

In addition to offering cutting-edge artificial intelligence services, Zummit Africa also lets you take courses in deep learning, data science, and web development, making you a formidable artificial intelligence expert yourself.

3. Intelia

Founded and headquartered in Lekki, Lagos, Intelia is a tech company that focuses on artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, and analytics. While those are very profitable sections of the industry, Intelia has almost no competition, no thanks to the difficulty level of finding an experienced AI developer.

Intelia claims to have worked with brands like Sony, Pepsi, and Nintendo, with unexplained ties to Stanford. If most (or any) of those claims are true, it creates an impossible competition for up-and-coming artificial intelligence companies in Nigeria. In addition to their Lagos head office, Intelia also has a branch in Texas.

4. Slatecube

Of all the companies in this collection, Slatecube is probably the only one focused on using the power of artificial intelligence for social good, as well as profit. They focus on developing Saas platforms powered by AI for learning and development, with clients like governments and social organizations.

Some of the available products that Slatecube has built over the years include Learna, a platform for delivering online webinars; Goal8, a platform for governments solving unemployment; Workforce, an early career recruiting system; and Outsourcing, which helps businesses create managed remote teams of varying sizes.

While the company is based primarily in Nigeria, there is also a branch in South Africa. Slatecube has reportedly worked with clients like the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, PwC Nigeria, and WebberWentzel, making it one of the best artificial intelligence companies in Nigeria.

5. Dochase

Dochase is a Nigerian ad network that programmatically shows the best quality ads to users of any website on which it’s implemented. The platform’s impressive AI algorithms help to choose only the most profitable ads for your website, qualifying it as one of the top artificial intelligence companies in Nigeria.

While Dochase isn’t as popular as Google AdSense or Propellerads, it’s not doing too terribly either. You can either sign up as a publisher or advertiser, with relevant AI-powered tools for users on both ends of the spectrum.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that artificial intelligence hasn’t seen peak utilization in the Nigerian tech sphere, but its adoption is growing rapidly. With the advent of platforms with the sole purpose of teaching AI to interested tech entrepreneurs and enthusiasts, it’s only a matter of time before the computers take over.

If you’re hoping to see some artificial intelligence companies in Nigeria to see how well AI is working in the emerging market, this article has some suggestions. You should note, however, that the companies in this compilation are not arranged in any particular order.

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