Judge, BAT Hackathon 2022
Ms. Olufunke Akande’s appointment as a Judge for the Bridge Africa Technologies Hackathon 2022 reflects a deliberate focus on operational experience, technical accountability, and systems-level judgment. Her selection is rooted in years of hands-on work across computer science, IT systems engineering, network operations, and data-focused problem solving, all carried out in live environments where reliability, security, and accuracy were critical.
Rather than approaching technology as abstract theory, Ms. Akande’s career prior to 2022 demonstrates sustained responsibility for building, maintaining, and improving systems that support real users, sensitive data, and institutional operations. This practical grounding positions her as a judge capable of evaluating innovation not only for originality, but for feasibility, resilience, and real-world applicability.
Her work spans system administration, large-scale network operations, application architecture, and data integrity, offering a comprehensive perspective that aligns closely with the objectives of the BAT Hackathon.
Professional Foundation in Systems and Infrastructure
Ms. Akande’s professional foundation is anchored in computer science and strengthened through extensive involvement in system and network administration. Across multiple roles before 2022, she was directly responsible for mission-critical infrastructure, managing environments where downtime, data loss, or security lapses carried immediate consequences.
Her experience includes administering Windows Server environments, Active Directory, and Linux systems, as well as supporting enterprise networks. These responsibilities required more than routine maintenance. They demanded careful planning, disciplined execution, and an understanding of how infrastructure decisions affect performance, security, and scalability across an organization.
She regularly applied system updates, patches, and configuration changes to maintain secure and stable environments. This work required risk assessment and sequencing, particularly in environments where changes could disrupt active users or compromise data integrity. Such experience builds the ability to identify fragile system designs, a skill that is essential when reviewing early-stage technology solutions.
Equally important, she documented system configurations and operational processes to support continuity, troubleshooting, and audits. This emphasis on documentation reflects a systems mindset grounded in sustainability and accountability rather than short-term fixes.
Data Integrity and Institutional Systems Management
Ms. Akande served as a Senior IT Systems Engineer in a higher education environment, where she led and supported initiatives centered on data reliability and institutional systems modernization. A key responsibility during this period was orchestrating the migration of student data to a new Student Information System.
This work involved ensuring data integrity during transfer, restructuring datasets for compatibility, and optimizing them for analytical readiness. The scope of this responsibility extended beyond technical execution to include validation, error mitigation, and alignment with institutional reporting needs. Decisions made during this process directly affected student records, administrative operations, and long-term data usability.
She also conducted detailed analysis of system data to extract insights related to student progress and institutional performance. By generating customized reports for different stakeholders, she supported data-driven planning and operational decision-making. This experience equips her to evaluate hackathon submissions that claim analytical value, particularly where data quality and structure are central to the solution.
In addition, she recovered critical data from crashed servers and implemented backup and redundancy measures to reduce the risk of future data loss. These activities required an understanding of failure scenarios and recovery planning, reinforcing her ability to assess whether proposed systems adequately address resilience and continuity.
Network Operations and Large-Scale Infrastructure
Earlier in her career, Ms. Akande held the role of Lead Network Operations Engineer within the Nigerian Research and Education Network. In this capacity, she contributed to the operational management of a national-scale network supporting universities and research institutions.
Her responsibilities included coordinating with multiple stakeholders, vendors, and consultants to ensure seamless integration and reliable network operations. She focused on performance optimization, complex issue resolution, and the implementation of security and data protection protocols. These systems were designed to support high availability, large data volumes, and real-time communication.
She authored technical documentation and operational reports that informed infrastructure improvements and strategic planning. She also led multidisciplinary projects, managing planning, scheduling, and resource allocation for complex IT initiatives. This combination of technical depth and project oversight reflects an understanding of how infrastructure decisions intersect with organizational constraints.
For a hackathon judge, this background provides a strong basis for evaluating claims related to connectivity, throughput, scalability, and system robustness.
Systems Administration, Security, and Governance
Ms. Akande’s experience as a System and IT Administrator within a regulatory and institutional context further strengthened her expertise in security governance and operational discipline. She actively participated in the implementation of a large research and education network serving a substantial user population.
Her work included leading the development and enforcement of security protocols, conducting routine audits, and ensuring compliance with established standards. She also designed and executed disaster recovery planning activities, including testing recovery procedures to minimize downtime and data loss.
In addition, she supported the deployment and management of IT service management tools, applying structured practices to improve incident response and service delivery. These responsibilities required anticipating risks, enforcing controls, and maintaining readiness across systems that could not afford prolonged disruption.
This background enables her to assess hackathon submissions with a critical eye toward security assumptions, operational risk, and long-term maintainability.
Software Engineering and Application Architecture Experience
Alongside her infrastructure and network responsibilities, Ms. Akande maintained active engagement in software engineering prior to 2022. Her technical skill set includes Java, JavaScript, object-oriented design, database management, and web technologies, supported by hands-on experience with enterprise development frameworks and tools.
Her project work includes developing secure web applications, implementing RESTful services, integrating databases, and applying security controls within application environments. She collaborated with development teams on distributed systems and application deployments, gaining insight into how software components interact with infrastructure and users.
This experience allows her to evaluate software-based hackathon projects beyond surface functionality. She is positioned to assess architectural coherence, data handling practices, and security considerations that determine whether an application can move from prototype to production.
Why She Is a Strong Fit for the Judging Panel
Ms. Akande’s value as a BAT Hackathon 2022 Judge lies in her ability to evaluate innovation through the lens of operational reality. Her career up to 2022 required her to make technical decisions where errors carried immediate consequences for data integrity, system availability, and institutional trust.
She brings the capacity to assess feasibility alongside creativity, identifying weak architectural assumptions, overlooked data dependencies, and scalability risks. Her background spans systems, networks, and applications, giving her a holistic perspective on how technology solutions function in real environments.
Rather than focusing on abstract leadership narratives, her judging strength is grounded in documented responsibility for systems that had to work reliably, securely, and at scale.
Judging Areas
Based strictly on her documented experience up to 2022, Ms. Olufunke Akande is qualified to serve as a judge in the following categories:
- Data Systems and Analytics Infrastructure
Her work on data migration, dataset optimization, reporting, and data integrity enables her to evaluate projects focused on data pipelines, analytics readiness, and information management. - Software Engineering and Application Architecture
With hands-on experience in enterprise application development, secure web systems, and distributed applications, she is well positioned to assess architectural soundness, maintainability, and security. - Network, Cloud, and Systems Reliability
Her leadership in network operations and systems administration supports informed evaluation of projects involving infrastructure scalability, connectivity, uptime, and resilience.
Bridge Africa Technologies invites innovators, developers, and teams to submit projects for the current BAT Award and Hackathon cycle. Submissions will be reviewed by judges with proven experience in building, operating, and securing real-world technology systems. The BAT Hackathon continues to prioritize solutions that demonstrate technical depth, operational feasibility, and readiness for practical deployment.