Can you tell us how the journey to building the platform started?

From a Product development perspective, it started with understanding the clear vision of our partners, the potential users, their needs, and the market. This included lots of research and countless stakeholder meetings that gave birth to the product and the direction the product will go. The journey was a rollercoaster to be honest as we were excited to build something special by using data and artificial intelligence to solve problems in the educational sector.

At the same time, it was exhausting due to the amount of work we knew was to be done to bring this product to life. But I must mention that we were blessed with visionary partners, from the Head of National Office WAEC to the committee members, ICTD, Finance, Legal, and Public Relations amongst other critical stakeholders who made our job easier by supporting us at different levels and even at odd hours.

The journey was demanding as we built day and night all the required features, testing, taking feedback, and reiterating new features. There were lots of sleepless nights for sure, including team meetings in the middle of the night, demos, debugging and lots of learning but it was worth it.

As the product lead, how do you feel seeing the project coming live?  

For me, it’s still surreal. I still can’t believe the public acceptance and reaction it has gotten since the launch. Even though this is one of many products I have worked on that has gone live, Edustat feels different. And so, I am happy but more importantly excited by the potential of the product, and the problems it will solve in the market.

What are the solutions EDUSTAT offers stakeholders in the education value chain? Edustat offers

Edustat is a data and Artificial Intelligence-driven analytics platform that offers rich and unique smart statistical insights into education and assessment in West Africa using historical and current data to provide detailed intelligence for stakeholders across the globe in a smart and easily accessible manner. It offers a variety of rich, interactive educational assessment statistics, and insights, in graphs, summaries, tables, trends and interactive dashboards for intelligence, research, and informed decision-making in just a few clicks.

We developed Edustat with ease of use in mind, so it was built for our users to easily sign up, and select the kind of report or intelligence they seek, with an array of filters to filter down the expected result by age, gender, demography, and even special needs amongst many other options of filters.

Who would you say will be the biggest beneficiary of EDUSTAT? 

Everyone can benefit from Edustat, but I would like to highlight a few. Researchers/academics (PhD students, professorship, masters) – We all know It is usually difficult to access accurate data that cover education statistics in gender, disabilities, regions, male/female and other indexes. Researchers will have cause to smile because Edustat contains more than just statistical numbers; you are assured of infographics. We infused a summary of any insight or report you to generate using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.

The opportunities are numerous. Governments at all levels – Federal, State, LGA; MDAs, are welcome to use Edustat.

For instance, Kebbi State Government wants to assess the state’s performance in SSCE over the years. They can compare their State with other States for developmental planning, and interventions (in case the students are not doing well in certain subjects like English, Mathematics, etc). A State Government that pays WAEC fees its students would cherish having accurate data on their performances.

Funding Agencies – The World Bank, UNESCO, DFID, etc., who are looking for reliable data for interventions for scholarships, erect classrooms/ this will help for informed decisions.

Schools are not left out. Schools would want to know how they perform in WAEC; maybe for the bragging rights of 9As or other achievements. This will help them compare with other schools. They can track how their female students are performing; how the students (generally) are doing per subject; juxtapose their performance to others.

We have worked hard to integrate AI Predictive Modelling, so schools shall be able to predict how students will perform in future high school assessments – known as WAEC school exams.

Also, Parents who moved to new locations do not know which School to pick for their kids. Worry not; you can assess schools’ performance in WAEC through Edustat.

Private Corporate/Individuals – Any company that does anything on Education like uLesson, Edusko, will help them build, and scale up their products, contents, or solutions around subjects. They can ascertain how candidates perform in each subject in real time.

How does it work? Is it a web or app-based application?

It is a web-based application for now, but it can be assessed from any device, Laptop, Phone, Tablet etc. It is adaptive to any device and provides everyone with the same experience across all devices.

Is it a subscription-based product? If yes, how is the payment process? 

It is a Pay Per report-based product. What that means is that you only need to pay for the insight/report you are seeking per time. But again, with the ease of use in mind, we built the product with a wallet system which allows our users to fund their wallets with sufficient funds which allows them to pay for the statistics/reports/insights they seek by drawing funds from their funded wallet automatically.

Would you say that EDUSTAT is the biggest project you have anchored as a project manager? 

Laughs… I would say it is one of the many biggest projects I have worked on.

What were the major challenges you encouraged during the process of developing EDUSTAT?  

Hmmm, Time was our major challenge and the number of features we had planned to develop in that amount of time. With Visionary partners and Leaders on a project, it is extremely demanding to build the best product and ship it out for public use in a stipulated time. That was my major challenge during the process of developing Edustat.

So, how did Akintunde Opawole (AO) find himself in the field of product management?

AO: This might sound like a cliché but I would say that I’ve been doing products without knowing I was doing product management. Over 10years ago, I worked on a product with a startup called V-campus solutions. Where I helped the startup to build a CBT application and then worked on some product videos at the time. I was the product lead on that project, and that was how my journey into product management began. At the time, I didn’t know that this was me setting a path for myself for a career in product management. When I got into Sidmach technologies, I was really interested in our products even though I was in marketing at that time.

I was heavily invested in specific products which I was championing, and that was how I got to develop a huge interest in product management. Over time after so many years and a series of training in brand management, and all that, I got to see that product management was the path for me and that was how I went full-time into it when there was an opportunity in Sidmach at that time.

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There was a product where we partnered with a company in the UK to launch into the Nigerian market. I was asked if I would like to lead the product at that time and I jumped right on it. That moment was how my product management journey started officially.

What is a typical day in the life of a product manager like?

AO: It depends on the organization, the role, size of the team, just to mention a few. Although, in between all of these variations, we still have some bit of similar typical day in life.

Well- depending on the day of the week, I start with-

• Planning and Documenting

First is, keeping tab on the Product Vision, developing and updating my Sprint/Kanban board to make sure it reflects my current priorities and progress and ensure we are well aligned with the vision of the product.

Then update my Product Roadmap to ensure product timeline is on track and all stakeholders are well updated by communicating through different channels such as product councils, end of the week updates on Slack channels, Sprint reviews amongst others. Also, refining the product backlog in preparation for sprint planning, and setting the sprint goal.

• Meetings and Communication

As a product manager, 70% of the time you will find us having series of meetings with different stakeholders at different point in time, ranging from meetings with your Development team, Product Team, Support, QA, Marketing and Sales amongst others. briefing and debriefing stakeholders.

• Researching & Analyzing

As a PM, we don’t stop learning. Consistent research and learning of customer behaviour, track metrics and key performance indicators, find bugs, gather user stories and customer feedback, collect data from the market, talk to your stakeholders and see what you can do to improve things.

You know, it’s usually a rollercoaster but as a product manager how I would sum up a day in life is being a nexus between stakeholders, working with the engineering team, ideating and thinking strategically on the product, and of course, balancing chaos.

What do you enjoy most about your profession?

AO: It’s the fact that I am working on something, ideating on something, or improving on something that can change lives, the way people work and the way people do things. That joy is limitless.

The fact that you can see your product in the market, somebody is using it and then you’re like Wow! Getting to hear from your users on how the product has helped them and played a significant role in their activities, is something that really gives me joy.

There is nothing more beautiful than you ideating something, bringing it to life, seeing what you thought about, seeing features that you thought about, and then you see it come alive.

Not just come alive and then see people use it and give you feedback (good and bad). Such things give me immense joy.

For me, it’s also seeing the wow factor anytime I am demoing a product. There is this particular amazing feature, and when I share it with everyone and they are like ‘Wow, the product’ can do this?

That wow factor releases lots of dopamine in my head (chuckles) and it gives me joy. That is something I love the most about my profession.

Did you come to Sidmach Technologies with a computer science background?

AO: I didn’t come to Sidmach technologies with a computer science background. I didn’t even study computer science as a matter of fact.

I studied microbiology but I knew even while I was in university that I wasn’t going to practice microbiology. I had started developing websites at that time using Joomla, Drupal, HTML, and CSS back in the day so that was my background that got me into Sidmach. It was because I could build something.

What is Akintunde Opawole ‘s favorite memory as a product manager?

AO: My favorite memory as a product manager would be when we had planned to build a data analytics product. We were to build the MVP in 14 weeks. We showed the prototype to the client, and the client loved the prototype so much that the client said that the product needed to be ready in 3 weeks. This is a B2B product.

The client insisted that they’d love to launch the product in 3 weeks and it was a final call. There was nothing we could do about it and I tried as much as possible to see how we could make that happen.

It’s my favorite memory because it was like impossible. 14 weeks for MVP, and then pinning that down to 3 weeks was a huge task for me. Again, because my team and I got to bond together for 3 weeks in the same location working day and night to make that happen. That is one of my favorite memory as a product manager because it brought us all together to see a goal that we all bought into and then make it happen.

What was your favorite project so far?

AO: I would say there are two products that are my favorite so far:

One is a workflow management product. I love that product because it involved us solving a need internally for the company. Then building it, tailoring it to the needs of the company, and then seeing it in use. It’s mind-blowing!

The second is a data product. Building a product with 150 million rows of datasets and then bringing it to life. Those two are my favorite so far. That’s Approval flow and Edustat.

Has Akintunde Opawole witnessed any moment as a product manager which he wished never happened?

AO: The sun-setting of a product that had so much potential and I was really passionate about due to dissolution of contract with a critical partner.

We have seen Product Managers (PM) being described as the CEO of a product…what are the qualities a PM must have??

AO: In no particular order of hierarchy, they are

• Excellent communication Skills
• Leadership abilities
• Strategic thinker
• Empathy
• Time-Management
• Passionate
• Ability to Analyze and Prioritize

How viable is the field of PM today?

AO: The field of Product Management is really viable as their many jobs in demand today. Product Managers are also relatively well paid and are very important stakeholders in any organization.

Thank you Akintunde Opawole for this opportunity to learn from you.

AO: It is my pleasure.​

Traditional technology businesses in Nigeria must adopt agile approaches to remain competitive in today’s dynamic business environment. Agile approaches, such as the Scrum framework, are gaining popularity in the technology sector due to their ability to produce high-quality products on schedule. This article will examine the advantages of implementing the agile-scrum approach for traditional technology firms in Nigeria, with a focus on the product owner’s role.

What is Agile-Scrum Methodology?

Agile-Scrum is a prevalent software development approach that stresses cooperation, adaptability, and customer satisfaction. It involves breaking down complicated projects into smaller tasks that are feasible to complete in sprints, or short time intervals. Scrum is designed to encourage teamwork, accountability, and continual development.

In the Scrum framework, the product owner is the main stakeholder responsible for setting the product vision and ensuring the development team is creating the correct product. The product owner collaborates closely with the development team and other stakeholders to establish feature priorities and ensure that the product meets consumer requirements.

Benefits of Using the Agile-Scrum Approach Improved Customer Satisfaction

Enhanced client satisfaction is one of the major advantages of adopting the agile-scrum methodology. By focusing on client demands and prioritizing features based on consumer feedback, traditional technology businesses are able to develop solutions that better suit customer requirements. This can ultimately result in higher consumer satisfaction and market success.

Accelerated Time-to-Market

A second advantage of adopting the agile-scrum methodology is that new goods reach the market more quickly. By dividing large projects into smaller tasks that can be accomplished in short sprints, businesses are able to deliver products more quickly and effectively.

This benefited one of the organizations I worked with tremendously, reducing our time to market by over 70%. Before the adoption of Agile-Scrum at the company then, software products could take months with no set date to achieve MVP in many cases.

But with the adoption of the Agile-Scrum framework, teams were able to break down tasks into smaller tasks, and accountability was ensured with sprint review at the end of the sprint. The Scrum framework also emphasizes continuous delivery and feedback, which can assist businesses in launching products more quickly and adapting to client input.

Improved Cooperation and Teamwork

The agile-scrum technique encourages improved communication and teamwork between development teams, product owners, and other stakeholders. By collaborating closely and communicating effectively, teams can create superior goods and achieve higher market success.

I experienced this at a larger scale at the beginning of the lockdown (thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic), my team was able to carry on with work, communicated effectively and cooperated efficiently thanks to the adoption of the agile-scrum framework at my organization. Also, the Scrum framework stresses responsibility and openness, which can assist teams in staying on schedule and delivering high-quality products.

Enhanced Adaptability

The agile-scrum technique is intended to be flexible and adaptive to shifting priorities andobjectives. This is crucial for traditional technology companies in Nigeria that operate in anindustrythatiscontinuallyevolving.

The Scrum methodology enables businesses to quickly adjust to shifting market conditions and client demands, which can help them remain competitive.

The Product Owner’s Role in Agile-Scrum Methodology

With the agile-scrum technique, the product owner plays a vital role. The product owner is responsible for designing the product vision, creating a product backlog, and prioritizing features based on customer requirements and organizational objectives.

The product owner collaborates closely with the development team to ensure the product meets client requirements and is delivered on time and on budget.

The product owner is also responsible for maintaining the product backlog, which is a list of all the required product features.

The most critical features are placed at the top of the product backlog based on customer requirements and organizational objectives. Along with the development team, the product owner breaks down these features into smaller tasks that can be executed in short sprints.

With the agile-scrum process, one of the primary benefits of having a product owner is that it guarantees the product meets client requirements.

The product owner collaborates extensively with customers and stakeholders to collect input on the product and modify it accordingly. This can contribute to an increase in client satisfaction and, ultimately, market success.

Also, the product owner plays a vital role in ensuring that the product is produced efficiently and successfully. By collaborating closely with the development team, the product owner can guarantee that the team is focusing on the most essential features and delivering the product on time and on budget.

In order for the product to be maintainable and scalable, the product owner also helps prioritize technical debt and other non-functional requirements.

Adoption of the Agile-Scrum Methodology:

Implementing the agile-scrum approach is a process that necessitates a substantial mental and cultural adjustment. Traditional IT firms in Nigeria can embrace the agile-scrum methodology by taking the following steps:

Inform the Team

The first step in adopting the agile-scrum approach is educating the team on the framework’s core concepts and ideals. This contains instruction on the Scrum framework, agile principles, and product owner responsibilities.

Develop a Product Strategy

The product owner should collaborate with stakeholders to develop a product vision that specifies the product’s aims and objectives. This vision should be shared with the development team so that everyone is working toward the same objective.

Build a Product Inventory

The product owner must build a product backlog that details the product’s features and requirements. The backlog should be prioritized according to client requirements and corporate objectives.

Define Sprint Objectives

Together, the development team and product owner should set sprint objectives that correspond with the product vision and backlog. Sprint objectives should be realizable within the sprint timeline and should contribute to the product’s overall success.

Perform Sprint Planning

The development team and product owner should undertake sprint planning in order to specify the tasks and activities to be completed during the sprint. This involves decomposing features into smaller jobs and evaluating the time required to execute each task.

Do Daily Stand-Ups

The development team should hold daily stand-up meetings to discuss progress, obstacles, and daily plans. This ensures that everyone is working toward the sprint’s objective and that any issues are swiftly discovered and resolved.

Perform Sprint Reviews

The development team and product owner should perform a sprint review at the conclusion of each sprint to assess progress, present completed work, and solicit input from stakeholders. This ensures that the product meets customer requirements and that any concerns are resolved promptly.

I would like to wrap up by saying, the agile-scrum approach is a robust framework that can assist traditional technology firms in Nigeria in producing high-quality products in a timely and efficient manner. By embracing the agile-scrum technique, businesses can achieve more customer satisfaction, greater flexibility, and a quicker time-to-market.

The product owner plays a crucial role in the agile-scrum approach, collaborating closely with the development team to ensure the product meets client requirements and is delivered on time and under budget. Implementing the agile-scrum methodology necessitates a considerable mental and cultural transformation, but the rewards are well worth the effort.

About the writer:

Akintunde Opawole is an experienced Product Manager and Marketing Expert that has built an impressive career with over 8 years in the ICT industry. He is also a certified Brand Manager and an experienced Product Owner, noted for building great brands, leading, managing, and collaborating with high- performing teams of developers, scrum masters and business analysts to deliver high cutting-edge technologies/products.

In today’s fast-paced and competitive business world, being a multi-skilled product manager can be a game-changer. Product managers are responsible for designing and managing products from inspiration to launch, and possessing a wide skill set can help them flourish in their roles.

In this article, we will cover the advantages of being a multi-skilled product manager, focusing on abilities such as sales, marketing, and growth management.

Sales Skills

To effectively market their goods to clients and stakeholders, product managers must be proficient in sales.

They must be able to describe how their products may address clients’ demands and pain concerns. Product managers with sales abilities may generate engaging product narratives and convey their value to consumers and stakeholders, resulting in improved sales and income.

Marketing Skills

Marketing abilities are also vital for product managers since they need to establish successful go-to-market plans and ensure that their goods are effectively positioned in the market.

Product managers with marketing expertise can perform market research, identify target markets, and design customer-resonating messages and branding. This can lead to greater market share and brand recognition, which are crucial to a product’s success.

Growth Management Skills

Product managers must also be skilled in growth management, as they are responsible with developing and executing strategies to increase user growth and retention. Product managers with growth management abilities may discover growth possibilities, create strategies to gain and keep users, and evaluate the performance of their growth projects.

This can lead to improved user engagement and revenue growth, which are vital for the long-term success of a product.

Technical Abilities

Product managers must also possess technical expertise in order to successfully oversee the development of their products. They must comprehend the technology underlying their goods and be able to effectively communicate with developers and engineers.

Product managers with technical expertise can efficiently oversee the development process, ensuring products are delivered on time and on budget and resolving any technical issues that may emerge.

Leadership Qualities

In order to effectively manage cross-functional teams and stakeholders, product managers must possess excellent leadership qualities. They must be able to inspire and encourage teams, efficiently allocate work, and manage any conflicts. Product managers with leadership abilities may establish a culture of collaboration and teamwork, which is vital to a product’s success.

In today’s fast-paced corporate climate, it is extremely advantageous for product managers to possess many skills. Product managers that possess sales, marketing, growth management, technical, and leadership abilities may effectively oversee the development and launch of new products, resulting in improved revenue and market share.

In order to flourish in their professions and ensure the success of their products, product managers should prioritize the development of a varied skill set.

About the writer:

Akintunde Opawole is a product management and marketing expert that has built an impressive career with over 8 years in the IT industry. A certified brand manager and experienced Product Manager, he is noted for leading, managing and collaborating with high-performing teams of marketing, brands, engineering and business analysts to deliver highly cutting-edge technologies/products.