Bridge Africa Technologies is pleased to introduce Mr. Ajayi Olanrewaju as one of the judges for the BAT Hackathon 2023. His appointment brings depth, credibility, and real industry perspective to a competition designed to spotlight Africa’s next generation of technology builders. The hackathon has become a central platform in the region, drawing young engineers, researchers, and innovators who are eager to solve problems that matter. Adding a professional with his level of expertise signals that this year’s evaluation process will be grounded in practical insight and strong technical reasoning.
Mr. Ajayi stands at a unique intersection in the technology ecosystem. His work connects advanced academic research with years of real world telecom engineering across multiple continents. He understands the science behind emerging networks and the operational realities that determine whether an idea succeeds or fails in the field. For a hackathon that values functionality, scalability, and long term sustainability, he brings a perspective that strengthens the judging bench and raises the bar for all participating teams.
Currently a student researcher in Information Technology at the University of the Cumberlands. His research focuses on how 5G and the Internet of Things can transform industrial environments. He studies low latency communication, network slicing, and the way intelligent systems support automation, predictive maintenance, and smarter factory operations. His work explores how high speed networks can move beyond theory and create measurable improvements in manufacturing.
His academic journey began with a degree in Computer Science, followed by a master’s in Information Technology. The combination gave him a strong foundation in both software systems and the architecture of large scale networks. Over the years he has strengthened this base with professional certifications in project management, cloud architecture, IT service management, business strategy, and advanced wireless communication. This broad skill set allows him to approach innovation with a balance of technical skill, structure, and strategic thinking.
Professionally, his career spans Nigeria, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He has contributed to mobile network planning, performance, optimization, and deployment for major operators and vendors. His roles have ranged from RF engineer to optimization consultant, subject matter expert, and lead engineer on high impact projects. Some of his notable contributions include supporting Three UK’s first 5G trial site, participating in large scale network swaps, and working on advanced 4G and 5G performance improvement for commercial networks in multiple regions.
His portfolio covers the full operational spectrum. He has managed dropped call issues, addressed capacity bottlenecks, fine tuned handover failures, led performance evaluations, aligned LTE and 5G parameters for new build sites, and interpreted complex traces for troubleshooting. He has also worked at the forefront of 5G open RAN environments, handling distributed and centralized units, field operations, and vendor coordination. This combination of field expertise and research insight makes him one of the most well rounded professionals on the BAT judging team.
His academic work also supports his industry experience. As a co author and researcher, he has published studies on 5G communications, AI in robotics, radio access network optimization, cybersecurity, cloud analytics, smart manufacturing, and data governance. His publications often focus on bridging theory and practice, offering frameworks that help organizations adopt emerging technologies with clarity and measurable structure.
This breadth of experience makes him perfectly positioned to evaluate the kind of solutions that teams will present at the BAT Hackathon 2023.
Wireless Networks and Connectivity Solutions
Connectivity remains the backbone of Africa’s digital future. Ideas in this category aim to improve mobile coverage, increase speed, reduce network congestion, and solve long standing accessibility challenges. Few professionals understand this space as deeply as Mr. Ajayi.
He has spent years working directly with 3G, 4G, and 5G networks, tuning parameters, resolving failures, monitoring KPIs, and ensuring performance meets commercial standards. He has optimized LTE and 5G sites for operators in the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Nigeria. His understanding of network behavior comes from real hands on troubleshooting, not theory alone. This gives him the insight needed to judge whether proposed connectivity solutions are technically sound, scalable, and suitable for live environments.
For teams building tools for rural coverage, congestion management, network analytics, or radio optimization, his assessment will bring clarity that reflects real industry expectations.
Smart Infrastructure, IoT, and Automation Innovation
Africa’s next growth phase relies on intelligent systems that support industry, mobility, agriculture, and smart cities. This category focuses on solutions that use sensors, automation, and real time monitoring to improve efficiency and decision making. It is a core area of Mr. Ajayi’s research.
His work examines how IoT devices, 5G communication, and predictive analytics improve manufacturing systems. He studies robotics integration, low latency communication, and the performance of intelligent systems that support automation. Beyond academia, he has contributed to IoT driven projects such as drone based inspection systems, industrial automation frameworks, and AI enabled network monitoring tools.
For hackathon teams pitching smart city ideas, factory automation tools, monitoring solutions, or IoT platforms, his experience ensures their work will be examined with an understanding of both technical feasibility and operational relevance.
AI Driven Telecom and Data Systems
Artificial intelligence is reshaping telecom operations, from radio resource management to predictive maintenance and network optimization. This category focuses on solutions that use AI or data to improve system performance or address telecom challenges.
Mr. Ajayi has published research on AI based spectrum allocation, explainable AI in robotics, autonomous systems, cloud analytics, data governance, and 5G performance optimization. He has worked with machine learning frameworks for predictive insights and has contributed to research on using AI for real time decision making within advanced networks.
This perspective makes him a valuable evaluator for teams working on intelligent telecom tools, automated network assurance, data driven diagnostics, or any solution that applies AI to improve connectivity and system reliability.
Strengthening the Standards of BAT Hackathon 2023
The BAT Hackathon encourages creativity, technical depth, and problem solving. It challenges innovators to imagine solutions that can scale across Africa’s technology landscape. Judges like Mr. Ajayi play an essential role in guiding teams toward ideas that are both ambitious and grounded.
His presence signals that this year’s competition will reward solutions backed by evidence, real understanding, and a clear sense of practical application. For participants, it is a reminder that their projects will be reviewed by professionals who know the realities of building and sustaining complex systems.
As BAT strengthens its commitment to supporting innovation across the continent, leaders like Mr. Ajayi help shape the standard expected from future builders. His appointment reinforces the message that BAT Hackathon 2023 is not just a competition. It is a serious platform for transforming ideas into long term technological impact.
Innovators, students, engineers, and researchers can approach this year’s event with confidence, knowing their work will be evaluated by someone who has spent years shaping the networks and intelligent systems that power the modern world.