Nigerian Student Helps Build AI System to Power Smart Cities During Crises

Adeyemi Olalemi

Adeyemi Olalemi, a Nigerian MBA student, played a crucial role in creating an AI-driven crisis management system during Aggie Hacks, a 48-hour virtual hackathon hosted by Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) and MBA students.

The event challenged participants to design an advanced crisis response system powered by artificial intelligence—essentially a “thinking brain” that could guide a smart city through multiple simultaneous disasters. The theme was “The City Has Gone Silent – Can You Be Its Brain?”

Working alongside his team, The Data Farmers, Olalemi helped develop NeuroPolis, an intelligent system designed to analyze massive data sets in real time and respond effectively during emergencies. “In a simulated Hurricane Ian scenario from 2022, NeuroPolis would have saved 91 lives and prevented $11 billion in infrastructure damage,” said Olalemi, emphasizing the life-saving potential of AI during chaotic events.

The team’s prototype used over 50,000 data entries to create a comprehensive full-stack system that featured AI chat tools, real-time dashboards, and blockchain-secured data—a combination designed to improve speed, accuracy, and trust during crisis response.

The hackathon was judged in two stages. Initial judges included Amrutha Gujjar, CEO and founder of Sponsor Structured Labs; MSBA Academic Director Carrie Beam; and lecturer Mehul Rangwala. Final judging was conducted by tech industry leaders, including Sameer Ziaee (Clay), Deep Barot (ContextQA), MSBA alumnus Kshitiz Parashar, and Analytics Projects Director Josue Martinez.

The experience was described by students as intense but rewarding. “We didn’t sleep much,” one participant said. Linda Sun, an MSBA student, shared, “At first, the data was overwhelming, but after several meetings and an all-nighter, it came together. It feels good to build something that could help in the real world.”

The hackathon concluded with an Olympic-style awards ceremony in San Francisco. The Data Farmers won Best Mixed MBA/MSBA Team, while other winners included:

Team Gogogo – 1st Place

Just a Bunch of Hackers – Visionary Vanguard Award

Secure the B-Aggie – Best Storytelling

Wenjun Song – Best Presenter

Dean Rao Unnava celebrated the event’s success, saying, “This kind of innovative thinking is exactly why our MSBA program is ranked No. 1 globally for return on investment. Our students are solving real-world problems—and making a global impact.”

Punch

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