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Nigerian-born AI expert creating new solutions in banking, health sectors

Various sectors of the economy are plagued with different challenges as a result of the consistently evolving technology applied to solving people’s everyday needs.

These innovations come with their pros and cons and therefore require creative minds to reduce the disadvantages, which come with social implications.

Nigeria has a myriad of talents that could make significant contributions to changing the way problems are solved—in healthcare, banking, agriculture, sports, security, mining, information and communication technology, and indeed every affair that relates to man and his everyday environment.

Christopher Okonkwo is championing new frontiers to provide solution-centred products in the banking and health sectors through the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

A product of the Lagos Business School and Master’s Degree holder in Business Analytics from Texas A&M Commerce in Texas, Okonkwo has released a series of articles published in international journals with a central point on how to use AI to improve healthcare, with a focus on mental health as well as using digital transformation and AI to combat financial fraud in banking.

As a renowned IT manager, he is well groomed, with a deeper knowledge of the proper application of AI and machine learning to create products that will save banks from the multi-billion-dollar fraud-related losses recorded in the industry across the globe annually.

It is no longer news that internet fraud is one of the problems holding the global community by the jugular, even as efforts are being intensified to tackle it head-on.

According to a report released by the FBI in March last year, Americans lost a whopping $10.3 billion to a wide variety of internet scams in 2022.

The losses were the highest in five years, according to the annual report from the FBI. The bureau’s Internet Crime Complaint Centre (IC3) lodged more than 2,000 complaints per day.

Baffled by this, added to how retirees in Nigeria lose their life savings to fraud in the banking sector, Okonkwo and his team thought it necessary to do something that would leave a lasting impact and save individuals, businesses, and, in some cases, government institutions from losing a huge amount of money through scams.

As someone who has had a successful career in the banking sector in Nigeria before relocating to the United States, Okonkwo is properly abreast of the plethora of challenges here, which is why he tailored his products to suit the peculiar challenges in Nigeria.

A Global Award Judge, he has continued to create products and share experiences through his articles on how AI and machine learning can be used to improve online security in the banking sector, detect fraudulent activities, and reduce risks. Some of his solutions are embedded with the ability to analyse vast amounts of data, and his AI algorithms can easily detect unusual patterns and flag suspicious transactions for further investigation, leading to a safer and more secure online experience for bank customers.

He has worked for one of the top four audit firms in the world, where he deployed his years of experience to further add value to the firm by nipping internet fraud even before it happens and detecting ones that have already taken place, deploying measures to ensure they are curtailed.

In the health sector, Okonkwo’s expertise in AI technology has been unparalleled. He has also ventured into analytic data tracking and measuring products for the healthcare sector, which indeed exemplifies his visionary approach and unparalleled dedication to advancing the field.

Through his innovative use of Al algorithms, he has developed a transformative solution that has revolutionised data analytics and measurement in healthcare, empowering organisations to make informed decisions and improve patient outcomes.

It is hoped that a day will come when Nigeria as a nation will begin to create the right atmosphere for our talents to be duly utilised towards providing solutions in the midst of the myriad challenges confronting our country.

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