In a remarkable achievement highlighting African excellence in artificial intelligence, Sewade Ogun has secured one of only thirty-four positions worldwide in the highly competitive African Master of Machine Intelligence (AMMI) programme in Ghana – a program with an acceptance rate of less than 3% from applicants spanning 28 African countries.

“When I received the admission email, I couldn’t believe my eyes,” Sewade recalls, his voice still carrying traces of the excitement from that moment. The prestigious notification read: “Congratulations on your admission to the African Masters in Machine Intelligence (AMMI) program and welcome to the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS)!… As an AMMI student, you follow in the footsteps of the outstanding past cohort currently interning or in residency at MILA, IVADO, Vector Institute, Qualcomm, Google, Facebook, among others.”

For Sewade, whose algorithmic innovations have already earned recognition at three national hackathons, this represents the culmination of years dedicated to advancing computational excellence in a region historically underrepresented in global AI research.

The AMMI programme stands as Africa’s premier AI education initiative, exclusively funded by tech giants Facebook and Google as part of their $4.5 million commitment to developing next-generation AI leadership in emerging markets. The program assembles an elite international cohort of students under the direction of Dr. Moustapha Cisse, who simultaneously serves as Director of Research at Google Ghana. “What makes our selection unique is that not only do we look for their academic achievements, but also their potential for continental impact, so the students you see here are truly exceptional and they are our hope for bridging the gap in AI in Africa,” explains Dr. Moustapha.  “Less than 10% of global AI research currently emerges from Africa despite the continent’s unique data challenges and application needs. Scholars of Sewade’s caliber will be instrumental in closing this critical gap.”

Sewade’s journey to this rarified position follows a trajectory of exceptional academic performance. Beyond winning Nigeria’s National Mathematics Olympiad in 2006, he graduated at the top of his class at university, securing the MTN Foundation Science & Technology Scholarship awarded to only the top 0.1% of STEM students nationwide. 

“I’ve been systematically building my expertise – enhancing my programming skills, completing advanced AI specializations, and participating in research workshops at major conferences,” explains Sewade. “The technical rigor and mathematical foundations required for admission to AMMI are extraordinary. Each applicant must demonstrate not only theoretical understanding but practical implementation skills across machine learning frameworks.”

The program’s alumni have an impressive track record, with 91% securing positions at leading global AI research institutions within six months of graduation. Previous graduates have published at top-tier conferences including NeurIPS, ICLR, and CVPR, with four former students currently leading AI ethics initiatives addressing algorithmic bias in developing economies. 

“The educational environment at AMMI is unlike anything I’ve experienced,” Sewade notes. “Rather than fostering competition, there’s an incredible collaborative atmosphere. We organize specialized discussion groups, participate in intensive coding sessions, and benefit from mentorship by teaching assistants who themselves are accomplished researchers with publications at major AI conferences.”

Despite COVID-19 challenges, the institute has implemented cutting-edge remote collaboration tools, ensuring students can engage in research projects with international partners across five continents. Sewade is currently collaborating with a team developing AI systems to improve healthcare logistics in rural areas—work that could potentially impact millions across the continent.

The AMMI program involves an intensive 12-month curriculum featuring advanced coursework, original research projects, industry presentations, and competitive hackathons. Upon completion next year, Sewade will join an elite group of graduates who have secured internships at world-leading AI research laboratories including MILA (Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms), Vector Institute, and residencies at technology pioneers such as Qualcomm, Google Brain, and Facebook AI Research. Industry analysts note that graduates of Sewade’s caliber typically advance to leadership positions within five years, with the potential to influence continental AI policy and attract millions in research funding to African institutions.

As Africa positions itself to leverage AI for solving unique regional challenges in healthcare, agriculture, and financial inclusion, pioneers like Sewade Ogun represent the vanguard of a new generation of African AI researchers poised to transform the global technological landscape.

Photo caption: Sewade Ogun (with a red cap) with other AIMS/AMMI students admitted in 2019, representing the top 0.5% of AI talent across the African continent.