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In this report, with Taiwo Babatunde who sits down with Oluwatosin Aramide, virtually to understand why his academic research in AI/ML continues to highlight policies issues around AI/MI that need to be taken very seriously by African countries as these technologies continues to evolve and disrupt sectors and digital national infrastructures.
Few people in Africa could actually say their dream career path they had as an infant from secondary actually came to pass down the line. For Oluwatosin, It’s both humbling and motivating to see how far he has come. His passion for technology was sparked in secondary school, where he served as president of the JETS Club at Federal Government College Ogbomoso. Back then, he was building small science projects and dreaming of a career in engineering.
Honing his trade in Nigeria, by completing a B.Tech in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and continued in Italy for a Master’s in Telecommunications Engineering, Aramide clearly maintained his trajectory in his quest to be a thorough bred sought after network engineer to the benefit of his country and the world at large.
Shining Star At NetApp
But Aramide’s contributions don’t stop at engineering, his peer-reviewed research on AI, incident response, and network operations is helping to drive critical conversations around technology governance and digital trust. Professionally, he has worked with the United Nations on behalf of Italian company, Amazon Web Services, and now NetApp, focusing on network design, automation, and security.
One thing that visibly stands out during the engagement that one cannot deny about him is the passion and the depth of his knowledge succinctly thrown at you at great speed. Perhaps this was the reason according to him he engineered dynamic failover between HQ and DR sites using BGP and OSPF for resilient connectivity, which was seen as a novel propriety at his former place of work.
Aside from being able to deploy and optimize MPLS, BGP, and OSPF on Cisco ASR 9000 and CRS 10000 platforms for scalable core network operations, it is noteworthy to know that he executed change management and policy updates across Palo Alto, Check Point, and Juniper firewalls.
Other notable skill sets he possesses include the ability to design Internet high availability architecture using BGP for rapid provider failover and minimal service disruption, performed deep traffic analysis across MPLS nodes to inform capacity planning and infrastructure scaling, automated IP address allocation and cabling documentation between network devices using custom Python tooling.
According to him, “I can plan, deploy, and maintain routers and switches, ensuring optimal hardware selection and timely firmware upgrades. Designed and implemented IPsec VPN tunnels over public internet to securely connect branch offices to HQ data centers, conduct traffic trend analysis to forecast bandwidth demands and proactively plan network capacity and designed and deployed enterprise firewall clusters using Cisco ASA 5525-X for perimeter security and HA.”
In an industry that is so dynamic and evolving one cannot rest on previous skill sets because of the complexity of the sector. No wonder he can diagnose and resolve complex network issues using Wireshark, packet captures, and log analysis tools, while being able to implement Cisco Virtual Switching System (VSS) on Catalyst 6900 to deliver core layer redundancy and high availability and enforced network segmentation using Cisco ASA, enabling secure access control between user subnets and server farms.
His tenacity, tact and dedication has seen overseen several roles as he is currently leading advanced network and AI infrastructure initiatives for global organizations, publishing research, and contributing to the technology community. Every step of the journey, from those early experiments to designing resilient networks for the world’s leading companies, reminds him that curiosity, consistency, and mentorship are powerful drivers of growth.
Research Driving Policies Beyond Boarders
For him, It’s a privilege to see his research and insights attracting and prompting national discourse around technology policy and digital infrastructure to emerging trends.
According to him, “These topics are not just technical; they are central to how we protect critical infrastructure and society at large. It is vital for policymakers and industry leaders to take these recommendations seriously because overlooking them can expose organizations to cyber threats and systemic risks. Our digital future depends on the adoption of such insights.
“I’ve published some peer-reviewed articles on topics like AI, Incident Response, and Network Operations, always seeking to bridge academic research and real-world solutions.
“In the coming years, I aim to keep driving innovations at the intersection of AI, cloud, and quantum-safe networking. I’m passionate about helping set global standards for secure, intelligent networks and expanding my impact through mentorship, research, and open collaboration.”
As a Nigerian network engineer expert he recently called on Nigerian policy makers and stakeholders in the tech industry to prioritse the resilience in AI/ML infrastructure as key to building secure and trustworthy quantum future, because organizations delaying PQC adoption may face compliance gaps, data exposure, and model theft risks in the coming decade.
For him, only through such integrated, cross-disciplinary approaches can the country ensure that the evolution of AI and quantum computing proceeds not only with technical sophistication, but with responsible foresight.
Consistently, Aramide, opined that Quantum algorithms threaten to render classical cryptographic methods obsolete, exposing AI/ML systems to potential breaches in confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
He explained that the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into critical infrastructure has raised urgent concerns about data and model security, particularly in light of emerging quantum computing capabilities.
Aramide warned about the implications of quantum computing for securing AI/ML data both in transit and at rest, while stressing the importance of exploring the development of quantum-safe networking protocols and cryptographic techniques.
He examined post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) solutions including lattice-based, code-based, and hash-based algorithms, alongside the role of quantum key distribution (QKD) and AI-enhanced security orchestration.
The study further addresses secure edge intelligence, federated AI systems, and emerging standards for 6G and beyond, while his findings highlight both the necessity and complexity of transitioning to quantum-resilient infrastructure.
However, the key challenges include computational overhead, legacy interoperability, and ethical concerns around AI-powered surveillance in quantum-secured environments and concluding by emphasising the need for proactive policy, investment in quantum-safe R&D, and cross-sector collaboration to safeguard AI/ML infrastructure in the post-quantum era.
Commenting he said, there is a need for a policy framework that integrates quantum readiness with AI ethics, secure software development lifecycles, as well as cross-border data governance.
He stressed that need for governments and regulatory bodies to collaborate
with industry and academic consortia to establish mandatory PQC adoption timelines, fund open-source quantum-safe AI frameworks, promote AI-specic encryption standards and conduct national-level readiness assessments.
He stated that the rapid deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies across critical infrastructures ranging from healthcare and transportation to national defense and finance has introduced a new class of cyber-physical dependencies.
He noted that these intelligent systems process, transmit, and store vast quantities of sensitive data, making them highly attractive targets for cyberattacks, while traditional cryptographic mechanisms have long protected such assets, the emergence of quantum computing poses an existential threat to the security of AI/ML pipelines.
He explained that Quantum algorithms such as Shor’s and Grover’s are capable of breaking widely adopted encryption schemes like RSA and elliptic-curve cryptography, undermining data confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity in AI-driven environments.
With Nigeria recently unveiling AI Collective Ecosystem to boost innovation, inclusion, research works like that of Aramide’s becomes paramount to the achievement of this noble government policy.
For the CEO of Data Science Nigeria—one of the implementing partners of the Nigeria AI Collective, Dr Olubayo Adekanmbi, outlined the Collective’s core focus areas, including research and development, sector-based innovation, policy influence, and global partnerships.
“The AI Collective will catalyze sectoral transformation by building networks that drive AI adoption across key industries. We invite industry stakeholders to step forward as sector champions across domains such as telecommunications, real estate, the creative economy, government, healthcare, agriculture, financial inclusion, and fintech,” he added.
With the official launch of Nigeria’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, a strategic roadmap designed to harness AI-driven productivity and economic expansion across diverse sectors, Aramide’s articles clearly sufficed that Nigeria’s AI Collective Diaspora-Connect can leverage his expertise.
This digital bridge for collaboration between local AI professionals and the global Nigerian AI diaspora remains a veritable tool under the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, led by Dr Bosun Tijani.
Commenting on the National AI Strategy, Tijani said recently that it was developed through an open, collaborative process involving government, academia, and industry.
“It reflects a distinctly Nigerian approach—drawing on the expertise of local and diaspora talents—to craft a forward-looking, locally relevant, and globally aligned framework for development.”
Creating Pipeline of Talent Pool
Aside from his core roles, Aramide has reached several milestones by publishing extensively in international journals like ResearchGate and earning top industry certifications as stated previously.
But he believed that with the kind of education he has acquired in driving automation projects that transformed operational efficiency is paramount to me and I am always keen about it.
“And so this involves ensuring that the knowledge I have I should pass it to the wider community,” he maintained.
He noted that he is always actively mentoring young engineers, organizing knowledge-sharing sessions, and building diverse teams.
For him, “Each milestone represents a step toward strengthening the tech ecosystem and creating opportunities for others.
“Mentoring young talents is deeply important to me because I’ve benefited from strong mentors myself. I know firsthand how access to guidance and encouragement can change someone’s path. Within my network I try to share the knowledge to upcoming young minds and show them the path I took to become who I am today.”
“With the rapid pace of technology change, sharing knowledge and supporting the next generation is not just a responsibility—it’s a way to ensure the future of tech is diverse, ethical, and innovative. Seeing mentees publish their work, secure key roles, or mentor others is the most rewarding part of my journey.”
CISCO Certification
Despite his academic prowess, Aramide has subjected himself to stringent certification qualification examinations.
Over the years he has obtained CCIE #52236: Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert ( CCIE) Enterprise Infrastructure; CCNP: Cisco Certified Network Professional Service Provider; CCNP: Cisco Certified Network Professional Security; CCNA DevNet: Cisco Certified DevNet Associate
