Abideen Olasupo: A UNILORITE’s giant strides in AI

Since the establishment of the nation’s most sought-after University, the University of Ilorin, about 50 years ago, the institution has continued to produce innumerable number of outstanding graduates who are doing very well at local, national and international levels.One of these illustrious and accomplished alumni is Mr Abideen Olasupo.

Mr Olasupo, who graduated from the Department of Chemistry in 2017, is the founder and manager of the  Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI), which was launched in 2022. BBYDI is an independent, nonpartisan and nonprofit making fact- checking platform for Africans.

His organisation has unveiled FactCheckAfrica, which is reputed to be the first Africa’s Artificial Intelligence platform. The platform is specifically targeted at countering the spread of misinformation and disinformation across the continent.

There is no doubt in the fact that this Osun State-born UNILORITE is not just a good ambassador of his alma mater, he is also a glowing pride to his state of origin and Nigeria at large in view of the positive ways he has been relentlessly deploying his youthful  energy and skills.

Instead of causing social dislocation like many of his age mates, Mr Olasupo has become an asset to the nation and humanity at large.

He didn’t just start. He has been posting remarkable contributions since his days at the University. He was the Google Student Ambassador while at the University. He also served as the President of the National Association of Osun State Students, University of Ilorin Chapter.

Mr Olasupo was also a member of the Independent Students Electoral Committee (ISEC) as he also won the prestigious Gani Fawenhimi Integrity award a few years ago.

Speaking at the unveiling of the AI-powered platform on Monday, Mr Olasupo, said MyAIFactChecker was a product of months of dedicated efforts and research, with support from BECERA and the U.S State Department.

He noted that the initiative would revolutionalise how Africans verify news and other online information.

Mr Olasupo added, “MyAIFactChecker is a demonstration of our organisation’s unwavering commitment to combating the scourge of misinformation, disinformation, and fake news, thereby safeguarding the integrity of information. This platform, which leverages cutting-edge AI technology, is user-friendly, and allows you to verify the authenticity of news, social media posts, and other online content quickly and conveniently.”

The UNILORITE further disclosed that the innovative platform would provide users with a range of functionalities, including a chatbot interface, feedback mechanism, and voice search capability that is available in English, Swahili, French, Arabic, and several popular local Nigerian languages.

According to him, the launch of MyAIFactChecker comes at a critical time, as the proliferation of disinformation and harmful content continues to pose significant threats to the integrity of elections, democracy, public health, and stability in African nations.

The BBDYI global Director, who said the impact of fake news and disinformation on elections could not be waived, expressed optimism that his organisation’s newly introduced AI fact-checking would help combat the spread of disinformation in African nations preparing to hold elections this year.

“It is worthy to note that 2024 is a year of elections in Africa as about 24 countries on the continent will hold elections this year. During electioneering periods, there is always a proliferation of fake news, and its attendant consequences could negatively impact the electoral process.

“With the launch of MyAIFactChecker”, Mr Olasupo explained, “we are poised to curb the spread of misinformation and disinformation before, during, and after elections in these affected countries”.