An Artificial Intelligence (AI) system designer and filmmaker, Mr Onu Abrahams, says weak product development structures, inadequate funding and limited access to data and infrastructure are barriers to scaling Nigerians’ innovations.
Abrahams said during an exclusive interview with reporters in Abuja in Monday.
He said while Nigerian innovators were capable of developing strong ideas and prototypes, many struggled to transform them into sustainable products capable of serving large numbers of people.
“The biggest gap is in technology itself, its systems. It is easy to develop a prototypes but it is not easy to turn that prototype into a sustainable product,” he said.
According to him, innovators face challenges including access to reliable data, computing infrastructure and capital when attempting to move beyond the prototype stage.
He said building a successful technology product required more than technical expertise, noting that founders also needed skills in product management, sales, partnerships and operations.
“Scaling from a prototype to a product that serves many people requires different skills and disciplines.
“Product management, sales, different kinds of partnerships, long-term relationships and operations,” he said.
Abrahams also cautioned innovators against prioritising funding before establishing that their products could effectively solve real problems.
“Many founders chase funding off of prototypes without actually validating the product. So that’s also a problem,” he said.
He urged innovators to first understand the problems facing their intended users and develop solutions around those needs.
According to him, the technology used to develop a product should be viewed as a tool for solving a problem rather than the product itself.
“The solution you’re offering isn’t the AI itself. AI is the means to an end. So you’re not necessarily selling AI as a product, but you’re selling a solution,” he said.
Abrahams said the innovators most likely to succeed would be those who understood consumer problems and built practical solutions around them.
He also called for stronger collaboration among government, educational institutions and the private sector to create an environment where innovations could be developed, tested and scaled.
He said Nigeria needed an ecosystem that supported innovators beyond the initial excitement of developing prototypes, providing them with the resources and expertise required to build sustainable products.
Abrahams said addressing those gaps would enable more Nigerian innovations to move from early-stage ideas to products capable of competing in local and international markets.