From a cyber café in Southern Nigeria to leading data transformation in the North East
of England, David Utibe-Abasi has never waited for opportunities to arrive—he built his
own.
In this exclusive interview with MoneyCentral, he shares his journey from walking 10 miles
every day for a few stolen minutes on a computer to driving digital transformation across
the UK.
Before there were data pipelines, churn models, or Power BI dashboards, there was a boy
walking 10 miles every day after school—not for sport, not out of necessity, but to steal a
few minutes on a computer.
That boy grew up in Southern Nigeria, the third of four children in a modest household, raised by a clergyman and a court clerk who believed education could change a life.
Nobody handed David Utibe-Abasi a head start. He built one, mile by mile, screen by
screen. Today, he is a Business Analyst and Data Architect operating at the intersection of
finance, industrial technology, and digital inclusion, with a career spanning MTN Nigeria,
United Bank for Africa, and the manufacturing corridors of the UK’s North East.
Take us back, how did your journey with technology begin?
Growing up in Southern Nigeria, technology felt like a world apart. My parents worked
tirelessly to keep us in school and instilled in us the belief that education could change our
lives—but access to computers was rare.
What drove me forward was pure curiosity. I used to walk 10 miles after school to my
uncle’s cyber café. Watching people use the internet to send emails, find jobs, and run
businesses, it wasn’t just impressive, it felt like a door. And I wanted to walk through it.
That door eventually led you to MTN Nigeria?
Yes. I joined MTN in 2016 after freelancing as a fresh graduate eager to explore the digital
world. It was there I got my first real look at the power of data, working as a Data Research Analyst. At the time, the industry was moving from voice-centric reporting toward data driven consumer intelligence.
One highlight was contributing to the early development of churn predictive models—
systems that now set industry standards for telcos globally. That foundational work
shaped my approach to data for years to come.
You were also involved in community initiatives at MTN. Can you tell us about that?
In 2017, I helped launch the MTNF Scholars Alumni, providing mentorship, networking,
and visibility for fresh graduates across Nigeria. We ran employability workshops,
supported early-stage founders, and bridged the gap between education and tech.
One mentee, Ikechukwu Emeka Nweze, founded Olili Food (now Trazzo), helping Nigerians
order from their favorite restaurants during lockdown. Watching that idea grow into
something people relied on was incredibly meaningful.
Then you moved to UBA. How did your work evolve there?
At UBA, I focused on data protection and financial analytics. Digital banking was
expanding across 20 African countries, and I helped ensure growth didn’t outpace data
integrity.
I built automated security systems, anomaly detection scripts, and workflows
aligned with NDPR and GDPR frameworks, proving African fintech could meet—and
exceed—global compliance standards.
I also developed Power BI dashboards translating millions of data points into executive
insights. That experience taught me data privacy isn’t just a regulatory checkbox—it can
be a competitive advantage.
You worked at Flip to Tech as well. What was that experience like?
Between 2021 and 2023, I led projects at Flip to Tech, an IT training firm. We trained over
150,000 students across Nigeria, taking people with little to no tech experience and helping
them become junior analysts, developers, and project managers.
It wasn’t about metrics—it was about people. Watching someone land their first tech role
after never touching code is the kind of impact that stays with you.
Moving to the UK in 2023 must have been a big transition. How did it go?
Joining Tor Coatings as a Business Analyst and Project Manager was pivotal. I mapped
legacy processes and designed a unified data architecture, implementing a centralised
warehouse with SQL Server and Power BI. This cut reporting latency by 40% and gave
management real-time visibility into supply chain KPIs.
It showed me that UK industries want digital transformation—they just often lack the
roadmap. That’s where I add value.
Now at Primatec Ltd, what are you building?
We needed a data pipeline capable of supporting a 50% growth in client data. Off-the-shelf
solutions wouldn’t cut it, so I led the creation of a custom CRM while serving as both Agile
Project Manager and Lead Data Architect.
I implemented Python-driven analytics to uncover customer churn patterns, boosting
retention by 15%. Mentoring interns and junior developers is just as important to me as the technical output.
South Shields isn’t the first place people think of for UK tech. Was that intentional?
Absolutely. South Shields sits next to world-class assets—the Dogger Bank Wind Farm base
and the International Advanced Manufacturing Park. There’s untapped digital potential
here that bigger cities overlook.
GreenTech, AI logistics, automated manufacturing—the opportunity is huge, and I want to help shape it.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I want to help create a UK tech ecosystem that is data-secure, inclusive, and scalable. That
means continuing to leverage Python analytics and Agile frameworks on complex
infrastructure projects, while also mentoring startups and small businesses so they can
compete on the same level as London or Manchester.
From a cyber café in Southern Nigeria to leading digital transformation in the UK, one
lesson has stayed with me: technology, paired with the right strategy and the right people,
can genuinely transform industries and lives.
That belief drives everything I do.
David Utibe-Abasi is a Business Analyst and Project Manager specialising in datadriven transformation across telecommunications, finance, and industrial sectors.
With a career spanning MTN Nigeria, United Bank for Africa, and the UK tech
ecosystem, he has built data pipelines, engineered compliance architectures, and
delivered digital transformation projects with measurable impact. Beyond his technical work, he has trained over 150,000 individuals in digital skills and remains a committed mentor to the next generation of tech professionals. He is based in South Shields, Tyne and Wear.
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