President Muhammadu Buhari has delivered an acceptance speech for his victory in the polls. INEC had called the presidential election last night.

Nigerians voted on 23 February. President Muhammadu Buhari (APC) faced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar (PDP). APC won 19 states while PDP won 18. Also, APC won 15,191,847 votes while PDP picked 11,262,978 votes.

To be declared the winner, an aspirant must win a majority of votes cast, and at least 25% of the votes in 24 or more of the 36 states. Based on these numbers, President Buhari is projected to be re-elected.

The Full statement ….

My Dear Nigerians,

First and foremost, I give thanks to Almighty God Who has spared our lives to witness another victory for Nigerian democracy and victory for our party APC.

2. I thank the millions of Nigerians who voted to re-elect me as your president for the next four years. I am deeply humbled and profoundly grateful to you for judging me worthy of continuing to serve you and for your peaceful conduct.

3. In particular, I would like to thank Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for his masterful leadership as Co-chair of the Campaign Council. I would like to also thank the Party Chairman Adams Oshiomhole, the Director General of the Campaign Council Rotimi Amaechi, all members of the Presidential Campaign Council and other various Support Groups.

4. My grateful thanks to all those who contributed to the logistical expenses of the campaign in such a vast country like Nigeria.

5. I also thank the millions of volunteers, self-appointed overseers, canvassers, agents, escorts and sentries who sacrificed so much of their time and resources to ensure the success of these elections. I do not have the words adequate to thank them.

6. Although Saturday’s elections were relatively peaceful, troublemakers in a handful of states attempted to disrupt an otherwise orderly process. Security agencies will bring to justice all those arrested in the process.

7. I am very sad at the grievous loss of lives during these elections. Security agencies will step up their efforts to protect voters in the forthcoming State elections.

8. I would like to commend our security agencies, as severely overstretched as they are, for handling the difficult task of securing the country during the election period.

9. I will like to make a special appeal to my supporters not to gloat or humiliate the opposition. Victory is enough reward for your efforts.

10. We give thanks also to our Domestic and International observers for contributing to the success of our elections and for their interest in our country and our developing democracy.

11. The new Administration will intensify its efforts in Security, Restructuring the Economy and Fighting Corruption. We have laid down the foundation and we are committed to seeing matters to the end. We will strive to strengthen our unity and inclusiveness so that no section or group will feel left behind or left out.

12. I thank you for your support and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Final Results of Nigeria’s 2019 Presidential Election by States – APC (19), PDP (18)

By Nnamdi Odumody

Data has been fondly described as the new oil. The organizations which will reap the new oil fields are those which are data-driven, utilizing the vast amounts of data from customers to offer them personalized experiences to suit their unique tastes. From banking to e-commerce and indeed across other sectors like healthcare and entertainment, different organizations across the globe are utilizing big data to create the customer experiences of the future. Below are few examples.

Stitch Fix, an online subscription shopping service, uses images from social media and other sources to track emerging fashion trends and evolving customer experiences. Its process begins with clients answering a detailed questionnaire about their tastes in clothing, and with client permission, the company’s team of data scientists augment that information by scanning images on customers Pinterest boards and other social media sites, analyzing them, and using the resulting insights to develop a deeper understanding of style. Company stylists and algorithms use these profiles to select appropriate items of clothing to be shipped to individual customers at regular intervals.

Pear Deck allows teachers to share interactive slide decks with their students in real time, while enabling students to indicate to teachers when they are having trouble so that the teachers can adjust, creating personalized learning outcomes. Kickboard makes it easy for schools to understand and benefit from the data they collect. The platform helps teachers look at their classes as a whole and track their students across classes to see the big picture.

Capital One Bank mines customers’ data on its platform to select the best financial products that will suit them. Amazon has patented an AI to anticipate what shoppers want and ship it to their location of choice before they even realize they need it. Shoppers will receive the goods they want or need without having to take time to schedule and order themselves. Through predictive modeling, the technology allows for the most cost efficient delivery of goods, capturing incremental sales and revenues.

Habit, a personalized nutrition startup provides consumers with personalized food recommendations tailored to their unique DNAs. Consumers collect bio samples and send them to a processing facility. Habit uses the data to provide biology reports and a personalized eating plan through a mobile app. It also provides one on one nutrition coaching.

For Nigerian and African businesses to play and win in this new area, utilizing the vast amounts of data they have of their customers to deliver personalized experiences for them, is the only way for success or else they will lose out.