The CEO of Telecel Ghana has called on the nation’s expanding community of young data scientists to transform their technical knowledge into tangible solutions to tackle some of Ghana’s most pressing challenges.

Delivering the keynote of the Ghana Data Science Summit at Ashesi University, Patricia Obo-Nai encouraged the gathering of learners, practitioners and stakeholders in data science to leverage its power for purpose-driven innovation and development solutions.

“There’s a saying that data is the new oil or the new gold. But if we’re honest, that description doesn’t even go far enough. Unlike oil and gold, data is not finite. Its power lies not in its volume, but in how we use it for greater good.”

Speaking to the theme of this year’s summit, From Skills to Impact: Empowering Ghana’s Data Science Evolution, Ing. Obo-Nai traced the global trajectory of data science from simple statistics to a powerful engine for prediction, automation, and social change.

She acknowledged that beneath the momentum of the data science revolution, there are significant gaps including the scarcity of hands-on experience opportunities, financial barriers to accessing advanced computing resources, limited industry adoption and a lingering bias against non-traditional learning pathways.

“Access to the internet alone to learn data science is not enough. Without opportunities to apply your skills, build portfolios, and gain real-world exposure, technical knowledge risks becoming an unused asset.”

Ing. Obo-Nai also shared insights into how Telecel Ghana relies on data science in its operations to serve customers, including revenue forecasting, detecting fraud and creating personalised and tailored bundles such as the Made4Me offers.

“For us, data science is a strategic asset that drives our decision-making and customer engagement. We leverage machine learning to deepen customer understanding and retention.”

She said the telco’s Data for Good initiative, run with the Ghana Statistical Service and Flowminder, plays a critical role in national crisis response during health crises as it provides anonymised data to shape public health decisions and resource allocation.

Held over three days, the Ghana Data Science Summit, also known as IndabaX Ghana, is an annual event focused on data science, machine learning, and Artificial Intelligence.

Launched in 2019 by the Data Science Network in partnership with Deep Learning Indaba, the summit aims to democratise data science knowledge across academia, industry, government, and the broader Ghanaian community.

It brings together hundreds of students and seasoned professionals in data science to learn, share solutions and collaborate.

In charting a path forward, Ing. Obo-Nai outlined recommendations to move Ghana’s data science landscape from a nascent talent pool to a robust engine for innovation and economic growth.

She said the study of data science can be more impactful to businesses through practical, project-based applications via internships and partnerships between academia and industry.

She also advocated mentorship, broader job market opportunities beyond STEM and finance, and better recognition for graduates and self-taught professionals with data science credentials from non-traditional pathways.

On a national level, Ing. Obo-Nai emphasised the need for open-access data platforms, standard data-sharing agreements and the establishment of advanced research centres to keep Ghana at the forefront of AI and analytics.

At the heart of these suggestions was a challenge to the new generation of data scientists to go beyond technical mastery and focus on real-world outcomes and applications.

“It’s not enough to code. You must ask the right questions, understand your data deeply, and communicate your findings so that they drive decisions that change lives.

"Your skills can help a farmer predict rainfall, detect health risks before they spread, or build the next fintech solution. The future won’t be handed to us. We must build it and help shape a data-driven Ghana we can all be proud of.”