In 2020, during the peak of the pandemic, I found myself diving into the world of remote work and freelancing through Upwork.
What began as a practical move to support my family quickly turned into a gateway to tech. Within a year, I had sharpened my skills in business process management and business analysis, working as a junior analyst with a project management team.
Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to lead and contribute to several meaningful technology projects. These include helping develop a school management system adopted by over 1,000 schools in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, leading the product development of a real-time cinema ticketing and queue management system, and serving as the Product Manager for the CounterFix project; a blockchain-based authentication platform that helps verify the origin and integrity of consumer products.Each of these experiences has affirmed one thing for me: technology must solve real, local problems.
That belief led me to pursue a master’s in Business Analytics, where I deepened my ability to create scalable, data-driven solutions.
Now, as Chief Technology Officer at BiocareMax Plus (BCM), I’m leading a new project that addresses one of the most overlooked yet essential challenges in African commerce: smart communication and trust-building tools for small businesses.
BCM’s Pivot and the Need for a Multilingual Chatbot
Following a period of disruption and strategic review, BCM is preparing to relaunch in July 2024 as a B2B marketplace for organic and wellness products across Africa.
But we know that simply returning to the market isn’t enough. Our users need tools that meet them where they are; both operationally and culturally.
That is why I am leading the development of a multilingual AI chatbot; a digital assistant designed to help sellers and buyers communicate more effectively, build trust quickly, and automate key business processes, without needing large support teams.
What Makes This Chatbot Different?
Most AI chatbots rely on generic language models or off-the-shelf translation tools. These often miss the nuances of local language, tone, and customer expectations. Our approach is intentionally different.
We are:
- Actively gathering real conversations and feedback from sellers to inform tone and flow
- Training the bot to interact in Nigerian Pidgin, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Zulu, French, Swahili, Amharic, and other widely spoken African languages
- Designing conversational experiences that reflect how African SMEs actually engage with customers
The chatbot is being built to:
- Answer product and delivery questions
- Guide users through the ordering process
- Collect and share verified reviews
- Integrate seamlessly with platforms like WhatsApp, mobile apps, and the web
Our aim isn’t just to automate responses—it’s to build a digital assistant that feels local, familiar, and trustworthy.
Why This Matters
Africa’s businesses are vibrant, multilingual, and often stretched thin. A vendor in Kano or Nairobi might serve customers in five different languages but may not have the resources to hire multilingual support staff. That is where this chatbot comes in: helping small businesses scale their service while keeping the human touch intact.
By developing a tool that understands not just our languages but our behaviours, we are building technology that is more useful, accessible, and inclusive.
My Motivation
My tech journey hasn’t followed a conventional path. I started as a freelancer, grew into product focused roles, and have continued learning by doing.
In 2022, I founded the TutorTech Initiative, a free digital training program for women and youth across Nigeria and the diaspora. Presently, we have trained over 1,500 participants in AI tools, business automation, and digital entrepreneurship.
This chatbot project is a natural extension of that mission to ensure that the tools of the future are built with our people and our languages in mind.
What’s Next?
As BCM prepares for its 2024 relaunch, this chatbot is becoming a core part of our platform’s strategy. We are still testing, refining, and listening to real user feedback because we want to get it right.
Africa doesn’t just need more tech. We need tech that sounds like us, works for us, and grows with us.
That’s what I’m building.
*About the Author
Hannah Graham is the CTO at BiocareMaxPlus and founder of TutorTech Initiative. She leads product innovation and automation strategies that drive inclusive digital growth for African businesses. She also serves as Product Manager for CounterFix, a blockchain based product authentication platform focused on supply chain transparency and trust.
