Microsoft AI Tour in Nigeria: A Personal Narrative

Introduction

Microsoft is on a mission to empower everyone on the planet Earth to achieve more and has been persistent in making this happen for the past 50 years—a mission I benefitted from an early age.

As an 8-year-old, Microsoft Excel enabled me to transform my makeshift bank, called SINLE at the time, maintained in my old notebooks to an electronically managed bank using Microsoft Excel, which happened to be the first application I ever used.

My Journey with Microsoft Technologies

For the past two years, I've been privileged to work on the same technologies that helped me transform my childhood idea—Microsoft ModernWork technologies. Leveraging modern work technologies, including Microsoft Copilot, I have empowered African enterprises and ecosystems with digital and AI transformation skills.

The Global AI Tour in Nigeria

Microsoft has been on a global AI tour since 2024, visiting different countries and continents. On February 19, 2025, the tour came to Nigeria.

The General Manager, Microsoft Nigeria & Ghana, Ola Williams kicked off the event with a refreshing keynote emphasizing Microsoft’s commitments, the outcomes of Microsoft's investments and her AI commitments

Next was a presentation from the President - Microsoft Africa, Lillian Barnard. Afterwards, we had the announcement of Microsoft investment to train 1million Nigerians in developing AI skills.

Following this was a Fireside chat with Ravi Bhat which preceeded the Copilot for Execitives demo — my session.

Then there was me!!!

At the just-concluded AI tour, which was hosted at Eko Hotels and had over 250 attendees, I had the honor of leading the Copilot for Executives demo alongside Dr. Nnanna, an esteemed senior colleague and friend.

During this demo, I showcased to the audience the transformational power of Microsoft Copilot and how it unlocks the richness of data in the very apps they work with through natural language, enabling them to unleash their creativity, optimize business processes, and supercharge their productivity.

The Copilot Executive Demo

Using the story of my childhood bank, SINLE, I showed the audience how SINLE leveraged Copilot to explore investment opportunities for the festive period in Nigeria, which we call "Detty December."

In this demonstration, I showcased how the team leveraged Copilot across the Microsoft 365 cloud applications. This enabled them to manage their entire business process flow. Infused with the transformative power of Copilot, the SINLE team optimized their processes from ideation, planning, execution, and expansion to integration with other businesses. I demonstrated how the team leveraged agents like the SharePoint agent, Copilot for Sales, the Microsoft 365 Copilot agent, and a Microsoft Dynamics reconciliation agent to speed up business processes, allowing them to consolidate data from multiple sources, including CRMs and their already existing Microsoft 365 data.

Preparation and Inspiration

To execute this demo, I drew inspiration from Satya and CVP Sumit’s demonstration style in their Microsoft events, which I consistently watch. This helped me to deliver a seamless demonstration showcasing innovative Microsoft technologies. Their presentation style inspired me to craft my demo in a way that communicated the value of Copilot, resonated with the audience, and made the complex capability of Copilot accessible and intuitive.

After my presentation, the audience erupted in a round of applause. Overall, the audience was lit up with the demo, and after my session, I received lots of questions and accolades, especially around the agents, specifically the SharePoint agent.

The SharePoint Agent

For the SharePoint agent, which garnered a lot of interest and attention during the presentation, the idea came from my childhood experience running a makeshift bank at home. As a child, when my parents wanted to withdraw funds from my bank, they usually left little notes for me, which I used to process their transactions. I remembered how my transition to Excel improved the process of reviewing all their notes to identify gaps and help speed up the transactions. I thought to myself, "What if we have an agent that can help the SINLE team review proposals?" This was the foundation for creating the SharePoint agent I used for this demo.

I designed an agent that helped the SINLE team quickly review proposals and contract agreements from vendors and partners. This allowed them to swiftly review and validate proposals, streamlining the RFP process and saving the team time to focus on what matters most.

Audience Engagement

Many attendees have requested access to my presentation slides. I understand the importance of staying current with recent Microsoft technologies, and I appreciate your commitment to enhancing your knowledge.

Microsoft Copilot is a continuously evolving application. To ensure you receive real-time updates on Microsoft's AI solutions, including Copilot and Copilot agents, please refer to this file.

Furthermore, for access to the specific videos on agents that I have created, please find all my videos via this link. You can view photos of the day here.

Event Highlights

Beyond my demonstration, I enjoyed other aspects of the events, including the panel session with Ravi and the fireside chat that followed immediately after my session.

Additionally, I attended Dr. Nnanna’s two breakout sessions where he went in-depth into Microsoft's data and AI solutions, the need for responsible AI design, as well as data security guidelines.

Reflection and Gratitude

As I reflect on my experience, I am grateful for the insights gained, knowledge shared, and the opportunity to lead the demonstration of Copilot to the audience, empowering attendees with AI skills at the Microsoft AI tour in Lagos. This event has not only deepened my understanding of Microsoft Copilot, it has also provided me with a unique perspective on the potential of AI to transform lives and industries.

I must highlight my exceptional collaborative experience with Dr. Nnanna. Working closely with him, sharing ideas, and reviewing our thoughts provided clear guidance as we sought feedback from each other. His dedication to excellence was inspiring, and his openness to constructive criticism created a safe and inclusive environment for both of us. I was impressed by the time we invested in preparing for events—the weekend preparations, night rehearsals, and his reception of my ideas were invaluable. This collaboration was one experience I will reflect on as I continue my journey.

I would like to extend my gratitude to Microsoft for investing in the Nigerian ecosystem. I thank Lillian, the President of Microsoft Africa, Ola, the GM for Microsoft Nigeria, my colleagues, the African leadership team who were present at the Microsoft AI tour, and every member of the Microsoft Nigerian team who contributed to making this event a success.

I also want to appreciate the support of my friends and colleagues throughout this journey. My biggest cheerleaders—Frances, Winner, Mercy MJ, Edi, Nofisat, Siviwe, Austin, Dayoumi, Erene, Abiodun, Tunmike, Isaac, Aunty Toyin, Aunty Remi, and Dr. Nnanna—your support and trust in me have been invaluable.

Conclusion

The Microsoft AI tour is an experience I will always remember, and I am grateful for the opportunity to showcase Copilot to the audience, demonstrating how they can leverage Copilot in transforming their employee experience and business processes. I look forward to all the amazing things that come out of this session and the journey ahead for me. Thank you for taking the time to read about my experience.

See you in my next blog post.