Dr. Olusola Salami is a Digital Information Technology Expert with over 20 years of experience working in Information Systems Development, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and Financial Services and the Technology space.
He has developed several applications and payment systems integration in the African Financial Sector.
Olusola is recognized as an astute leader in implementing projects and programs that ensure IT value realization, Business Assurance, Digital Transformation and goal attainment from a technology-driven perspective. He had also worked as the Lead IT Integrator responsible for First Bank’s expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa during its Merger and Acquisition in Sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, he works as an Enterprise Cloud Technology Architect at Afreximbank, where he has successfully led and completed various technology projects. Sola’s Technology career has featured collaborations with Industry leaders in Nigeria, South Africa, India, Canada, UK and the USA among others.
Born and raised in the ancient city of Oyo town, Oyo State to a well-educated family. He attended Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo, where he completed his junior secondary education. Observing his life as a blessing from God to the IT World subsequently informed his decision to study Computer Engineering at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho (LAUTECH), following his meritorious Secondary School Certificate Examination completion from Awe High School, Awe, Oyo state. After graduating from LAUTECH, He started his professional career as a Systems Analyst and Engineer at the National Examinations Council, Minna, Niger State, during his mandatory National Youth Service Corps, where he managed the organisation’s networking and IT infrastructure for a year. Sola then joined First Bank of Nigeria plc as a Systems Analyst and Database Application Developer, working with various teams to design and develop enterprise banking applications on the Finacle Core Banking Platform.
In May 2014, he was elevated to the Development Team Manager for Finacle/Bespoke Applications position due to his dedication and steadfastness. Leveraging his passion for IT and Cloud infrastructure, he attained over 14 professional certifications across Microsoft, Oracle, Service Management Systems and AWS Cloud Platforms. Working with First Bank equipped him with a PAN African experience and an understanding of integrating core banking systems and other IT systems to realise Financial benefits/synergies for the Bank’s 6 African Subsidiaries (Anglo and Francophone Countries). Sola’s dedication to the Information Technology environment geared him to a postgraduate study in Computing (MSc.) with a focus on the thesis titled “A Technical Framework for the Design and Development of a Multi-Channel Messaging Platform” at the University of South Africa” one of the leading universities in Africa, also Nelson Mandela’s Alma Mater. His proposed framework and contribution to the academic world earned him a Distinction – Summa Cum Laude on graduation.
His quest for proffering more solutions for the African continent using Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, an emerging technology area, made him embark on a PhD education with a research focus on “Modelling a Multi-Channel Messaging Framework: A Machine Learning Approach”. Sola has been able to explore and investigate the various machine-learning algorithms for optimal channel selection. His study delved into applying these algorithms and their use to channel selection, including the end-user context, focusing on the multi-armed bandit (MAB) problem, Tug of War and Upper Confidence Bound algorithm in a novel approach to solving this problem. He then presented a framework that fully integrates different web channels (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram IM, SMS, and Email) with a decision-making module and machine learning for the model to learn customer patterns over time. Furthermore, his method allows flexibility to realise requirements for geolocation sensing, scheduling schemes and user mobility. The framework design can choose channels dynamically, incorporating a machine learning module for message delivery patterns and supporting an integration layer via a common data channel-agnostic to each channel integrated.
Sola is a thoroughly bred professional in the digital technology field and has consistently proven himself to work with individuals at all levels in academic and professional settings globally. He brings on board his innovative solutions capabilities, advanced technical, operational insights, communication skills, personal approach, teamwork/leadership competencies, and sound judgment in selecting methods and techniques for approaching solutions. Sola contributes to worthy causes in the society, He supports the less priviledged children, women, widows and widowers through the Divine Mercy Family Support Initiative in Nigeria.
