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Data Science Nigeria (DSN), Africa’s premier capacity-building, research, and AI solutions hub, has announced the appointment of Ms. Chinazo Anebelundu as its new director, AI Solutions Delivery.
This strategic elevation underscores DSN’s commitment to delivering transformational, inclusive, and scalable AI-driven solutions rooted in Africa’s unique development context.
Chinazo’s appointment reflects not only her proven business and technical excellence but also DSN’s dedication to nurturing homegrown talent capable of leading Africa’s AI journey on the global stage.
An accomplished AI and geospatial executive, Chinazo brings more than thirteen years of postgraduate experience across multiple sectors, regions, and domains.
Her journey with DSN began in 2019 as a participant in the organization’s flagship AI Bootcamp, a remarkable progression that embodies DSN’s mission to develop and elevate indigenous talent.
She formally joined DSN in 2020 and has since distinguished herself through her operational depth, innovation, and ability to translate complex ideas into practical solutions with measurable impact.
In her most recent role as Geospatial Business Lead, Chinazo spearheaded the development of an AI-powered intelligent microplanning platform that is revolutionizing last-mile healthcare delivery through real-time geospatial insights.
She also led the Meta-funded Geospatial Data for Good Health Project, which spanned Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, and Nigeria, training over 500 young professionals and curating the first Geospatial Machine Learning Workshop at Deep Learning Indaba, Africa’s foremost AI conference.
Her innovation track record further includes the conception and development of SpotOn, a digital inclusion platform that empowers small and informal businesses through location-based discovery and digital storefronts.
Her leadership has earned global acclaim. In 2023, her team at DSN received the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Global Grand Challenge Award for work at the intersection of large language models and localized learning systems. In 2024, her geospatial team gained international recognition at NASA’s Pale Blue Dot Challenge for a pioneering visualization solution.
She has also contributed to global development systems, including being part of the team that lead the adaptation of the open-source DHIS2 platform into a scalable governance tool for emerging markets, earning commendation in Norway for its uniqueness and impact.
Currently, she is advancing a strategic partnership with the University of Southampton’s WorldPop Lab, driving AI-powered geospatial innovations for inclusive economic planning in low- and middle-income countries.
As Director, AI Solutions Delivery, Chinazo will oversee DSN’s strategic planning and execution of solution delivery, managing AI engineering, data science, geospatial analytics, and product solutioning teams.
She will also serve as a senior liaison with DSN’s partners, ensuring that every solution is contextually relevant, technically sound, and delivers measurable socio-economic impact.
Beyond operations, she will lead knowledge management, technical capacity building, and solution commercialization, reinforcing DSN’s role as a thought leader in responsible and inclusive AI.
Speaking on her appointment, Dr. Olubayo Adekanmbi, founder and CEO of Data Science Nigeria, noted that Chinazo’s elevation marks a new chapter for DSN as it continues to scale impactful AI solutions for Africa and beyond.
He highlighted that her journey, beginning as a participant at the AI Bootcamp and culminating in her new leadership role, demonstrates the power of nurturing indigenous talent to address Africa’s challenges with global excellence.
With this appointment, DSN reaffirms its readiness to deepen engagements with partners and to deliver high-quality, inclusive, and transformative AI solutions across multiple domains.