Comfort Ebofin Clinches 2023 Tech Innovation of the Year Award at AOT Lagos

By: Adeyemi Abe

A round of applause filled the hall at this year’s Art of Technology Lagos (AOT Lagos) as Comfort Ebofin was announced the winner of the 2023 Tech Innovation of the Year Award. The recognition honored her trailblazing work in AI-driven financial intelligence, specifically her achievements while serving as a Senior Data Scientist at Access Bank Plc, where she led initiatives that advanced fraud detection, risk analytics, and digital lending systems.

Her models, designed with fairness and transparency in mind, helped improve fraud identification rates by 35% and reduce loan defaults by 18%, achievements that have since influenced how other financial institutions deploy AI responsibly. What distinguished Comfort among this year’s nominees was not only her technical expertise, but her ability to build adaptable solutions for both enterprise and community impact. She developed data pipelines and machine learning frameworks that scale efficiently across different markets, from high-volume retail banking systems to micro-lending platforms serving small business owners.

Beyond her corporate success, Comfort has remained deeply invested in Africa’s data ecosystem. In 2022, she helped organize mentorship programs for young data scientists, providing guidance on ethical AI, model governance, and experimentation standards. Many of her mentees have gone on to contribute to fintech and research initiatives across Nigeria and East Africa. The AOT Lagos Award, one of the continent’s most respected digital honors, evaluated more than a hundred technologists across sectors, including fintech, agritech, and civic innovation. Comfort’s selection underscored her growing influence as both a builder and educator, advancing the practice of responsible data science in Africa. As discussions at AOT Lagos turned to the ethical use of artificial intelligence and the future of digital inclusion, Comfort’s win sent a clear message: innovation is not just about technology’s reach, but its relevance, and the impact it has on improving everyday lives.