Dataphyte is a social impact organisation operating as an access to information for development program and as an end-to-end data-as-a-service platform offering data services.[1][2] Dataphyte uses data science and artificial intelligence tools to gather, curate, store and offer data on diverse subjects including government policy, economy, market trends, health, education, security, election, climate and in extractive industry.[3] Dataphyte transforms generated data into machine-readable formats, generates interactive visualisations, analyse and publish insights into the data making it an open data source for journalists, civil society organisations[4] and researchers.[5][6]

Dataphyte
Company typePrivate
IndustryInformation Technology
Founded2019
FounderJoshua Olufemi
Headquarters,
Area served
Worldwide
Products
Websitewww.dataphyte.com Edit this on Wikidata

History

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Dataphyte was founded in 2019 by Joshua Olufemi, a Nigerian media and civic technology innovator. Dataphyte's work has been funded by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa, National Endowment for Democracy,  the Media Development Investment Fund, and the BigLocal news Project at Stanford University.[7][8][9]

Products and Services

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Dataphyte’s Insights

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Dataphyte conducts research and analysis, contributes to broader understanding of trends on socioeconomic issues by providing open access to data driven insights referenced both locally and globally.[10][11]

In 2020, Dataphyte partnered with Statista and enhanced its availability of data and reports through its socio-economic reporting platform, both within Nigeria and globally.[12]

In 2021, Dataphyte delivered its first advisory notes and data-driven insights on Nigeria transitioning to a post-oil economy. These advisory notes were published to guide policymakers and stakeholders in identifying sustainable economic opportunities and making strategic investments that will help diversify the economy and reduce dependence on oil.[13]

Through investigative journalism and data-driven reporting, Dataphyte plays instrumental role in providing data for journalists,[14] combatting misinformation and promoting media integrity in Nigeria.[15] The organisation’s investigations have led to significant outcomes, such as governmental acknowledgment of unethical practices and policy adjustments. Additionally, Dataphyte's journalists have received recognition for their impactful work, including exposing project on public contracting system in Nigeria.[16][17][18]

Anfani

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In 2022, Dataphyte launched a civic tech platform, Anfani, an open-source tool designed to combat corruption in Nigeria by linking public procurement data with beneficial ownership information.[19]

Goloka

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Goloka unveiled in a citizen powered data collection solution that provides real-time, highly-localised and spatially-enriched insights to organisations crowdsourcing data globally. In 2024, two years after it was launched, Dataphyte partnered with a non-profit organisation, CJID on a USAID-funded project to collect and analyse data on socio-economic impact of green minerals in local communities in Nigeria, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mozambique. This data will be used to inform policy decisions and advocacy efforts.[20][21]

Nubia

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Dataphyte's Nubia project was launched in 2022 as part of the JournalismAI Fellowship. Incubated within this program, Nubia was developed to leverage AI to transform large data sets into engaging news stories.[22][23] In 2024, Dataphyte teamed up with Archiving to use Nubia to analyse historical data on it archives to generate stories.[24]

Dataphyte Foundation

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Dataphyte Foundation, the non-profit arm of Dataphyte, supports civic actors by providing access to data, insights, and resources to promote transparency and accountability. Among other projects, It conducts research to advance democratic values in Nigeria and organises stakeholder dialogues to advocate for data use in strengthening democracy.[25][26][27]

References

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  1. ^ "How media startup Dataphyte is making data accessible to journalists in Nigeria | Jamlab". Retrieved 2022-04-13.
  2. ^ "Statista partners Dataphyte to offer global access to Nigerian datasets". TheCable. 2021-11-04. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
  3. ^ "₦173 Billion Payments Without Description Defeats Nigeria's Open Government Initiative". TDNmagazine. 2020-05-30. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
  4. ^ "Kaduna train attack: Pyrates says insecurity pushing Nigeria to the brink". Vanguard News. 2022-03-30. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
  5. ^ "Dataphyte: Deploying data tools and technology for socio-economic development in Nigeria – CTIN". Retrieved 2022-04-13.[dead link]
  6. ^ ICFJ. "Journalists in ICFJ Network Honored for Pandemic Coverage in Five Languages". International Center for Journalists. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
  7. ^ "Nigerian media startup, Dataphyte, raises $100,000 in seed investment". 2021-12-02. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
  8. ^ "Nigerian startup Dataphyte focuses on data-driven storytelling". Réseau international des journalistes (in French). Retrieved 2022-04-13.
  9. ^ Otoibhi, Blessing (2022-03-15). "Dataphyte offers 2022 media fellowship". International Centre for Investigative Reporting. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
  10. ^ BBC, British Broadcasting Corporation (2022-09-04). "Viewpoint: Why Nigeria's ban on foreign models won't work". BBC. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  11. ^ "Economic challenges persist as Tinubu completes first year, says Dataphyte". Guardian Newspapers. 2024-05-27. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  12. ^ "Statista partners Nigerian firm Dataphyte on socioeconomic data". Premium Times. 2021-11-06. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  13. ^ "Dataphyte Releases 'Nigeria's Post-Oil Economy' Advisory Note". Daily Trust. 16 November 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  14. ^ James, Aparshe (18 July 2024). "Dataphyte Foundation inducts six journalists into 2024 gender mainstreaming fellowship". Premium Times. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  15. ^ Biswal, Santosh Kumar; Kulkarni, Anand J (2024). "Exploring the Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Journalism: The Emergence of a New Journalistic Paradigm". British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data: 130. ISBN 978-1-003-85751-8 – via Google Books.
  16. ^ Patrick, Egwu (18 January 2023). "#NotebookGate: How Nigeria's Dataphyte Exposed Corruption in Government Contracts". Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN). Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  17. ^ "Dataphyte Journalist Who Exposed Makinde's N2,100 Per Notebook Contract Shortlisted For Wole Soyinka Investigative Journalism Award". Oyo Insight. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  18. ^ "How Dataphyte exposed corruption in government contracts". The Journalism and Media Lab (JAMLAB). 23 January 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  19. ^ Igidi, Terkula (13 December 2022). "Dataphyte launches open source hub for fighting corruption". Daily Trust. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  20. ^ "CJID Wins $400,000 USAID Challenge to Combat Transnational Corruption". Daily Trust. 25 October 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  21. ^ "Dataphyte Powers Green Mineral Mining Transparency in Africa with its Goloka Data Access Solution". grapevinemagazine.co.uk (Essex Chambers of Commerce & Industry Ltd). May 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  22. ^ Maseko, Lwazi (22 May 2024). "How Nubia is changing data-driven journalism". JournalismAI London School of Economics. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  23. ^ "Nubia: The call, the crawl, and the counsels". London School of Economics. 2 October 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  24. ^ "Dataphyte partners Archivi.ng to drive data-driven storytelling with Nubia AI". The Cable. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  25. ^ Ajayi, Omeiza (19 April 2024). "Why Nigeria must counter foreign narratives against her democracy – Amadi". Vanguard. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  26. ^ Nnah, Mary. "Dataphyte Foundation Calls for Collaboration Across Africa on Election Monitoring". ThisDay Newspapers. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  27. ^ Ibeh, Ifeanyi (27 May 2024). "Economic challenges persist as Tinubu completes first year, says Dataphyte". Guardian Newspaper. Retrieved 17 September 2024.